The Hunter's Council
by LitLover 101
Summary: Ch.14 EditedBook Three of CtVS: Caroline is dead, or so everyone thinks. Hayley's triggered to become the new Slayer. She's not the only off-shoot to rise. The Hunter's Council and a new darkness wreak havoc while Klaus' grief drives him over the edge. Newly risen Vampire-Slayer, Caroline, might have to come home to deal with all these new threats and the non-welcoming committee
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**The **__**Vampire **__**Diaries**_**. That would be Warner Brothers, CW, etc. **

**Hello, my lovely readers. Welcome back! This is the last book of the **_**CtVS**_** series. Hopefully, I can get an update out next month. On with the show…**

Chapter 1: Not Quite Dead

Sunlight dimmed in the cemetery. Rain tapped, tapped on the gravestone. The name of a newly deceased etched out for anyone to read it; unlike some of the older stones in the immediate vicinity. A person stood near the grave. Their fists were balled at their sides as they waited for the undead to rise. Soon. And then a set of fingers broke the surface. The fingers pushed and groped and were soon followed by a blonde mane of hair.

The vampire thrust itself upward and then smiled at the person who waited for them. "Hello, dinner."

"Not so much," Tyler Lockwood replied. He pulled out a stake and waved a hand. "Let's rumble, ass hat."

The male vamp began to circle the young wolf. Tyler ducked back and forth. He felt pretty good about this whole slaying thing. With a little help, he'd been able to kill three vamps this week. And here he thought Caroline was some kind of superhero. Of course, she could take out three vamps in an hour. Still, this wasn't Tyler's calling. And he felt like he was holding his own.

Laughing, the vamp picked up a gravestone and tossed it at Tyler's head. "Okay. Not cool!" Tyler shouted, leaping out of the way. His ankle took the brunt of the edge of the heavy cement. "Ow!" He looked upward. "Bon, a little help! Please!"

Bonnie called back. "Ric's getting attacked in the northeastern corner. It's a three-on-one kind of thing. Sorry, Ty. You're going to have to get creative."

"Man, I hate it when she says that," Tyler groaned.

The vampire who wanted to eat some puppy chow, grinned exposing that gorgeous set of chompers. "Looks like it's just you and me, kid. Don't worry. I'll make it quick." The vamp pounced on Ty.

After a moment, Tyler looked up and saw the vamp had pitched back. "Ew! What are you?" the vampire demanded. "You smell like my old dog, Biscuit."

"Well, say 'Hello' to Biscuit for me," Tyler snapped, freeing a stake from his ankle holster and stabbing the vamp through the heart.

"Ahhhh!" came from where Ty figured Ric must be.

Rolling over, Tyler forced himself to his feet and found that the three vamps Bon mentioned made a few friends. Ric was holding them with a cross, but that would not last long, especially with a female vamp climbing the gate behind Ric.

"Shit," Tyler groaned. "Bon?"

"I'm working on it," Bonnie snapped. The sound of chanting filled the air and one of the vamps got a branch through the heart. Now, three of them turned, snarling and spotted Bonnie. Hell, Tyler didn't know where Bonnie was, exactly, but he figured she was where the vamps were now headed.

"Ty, go help Bonnie!" Alaric gagged out as a vamp began to choke him and bang Ric's head into the gate. The female vamp was still poised to pounce on Ric.

Tyler was torn between helping the Hunter or helping his best friend. "Shit," he groaned.

"Need help?" Someone asked from behind Tyler. "'Cause it kind of looks like death, death, and, oh, yes, death!" Hayley Marshall grinned before by-passing Tyler in a backhand spring. "Miss me? Oh, wait, I forgot your plan doesn't cover tooth removal at no cost. Good thing I'm here to help!" She cheerfully kicked a vamp in the mouth. It slammed into the gate and let out a howl, placing its hand to its mouth.

"Guess de-fanging's in-style this year," Tyler muttered. He went to help Bonnie.

Marcel stood under the mausoleum where a pair of vamps were scaling the sides. He aimed a crossbow and shot them down. Looked like Bonnie no longer needed Tyler's help. He turned to find Hayley whaling on a vamp.

"Hales, just kill it!" Marcel ordered the over-eager Slayer.

Hayley paused and rolled her eyes. Jerking a stake out from her waistband, she finished the vamp off. Getting to her feet, she looked around. "Man, I'm hungry. Who wants to get some dinner?" She asked, giving Ric a quick look before stalking over to join Marcel.

Ric got to his feet but still looked kind of shaky. "Thanks for stopping by. We've got it handled now." His eyes rolled up in his head and he fell to the ground.

Cocking her head to the side; Hayley shook it. "And he used to be a badass?" She hooked a thumb at Ric with a shake of her head. "Huh."

Tyler made his way over to Ric as Bonnie levitated to the ground. Her powers were growing at an insane rate. Tyler had no idea how she could do half the things she did nowadays. However, she did not seem to be in full control of her powers either. Not without Freya to help her.

"We should take him to the hospital," Tyler said, bending down next to Ric. "He doesn't look so hot."

"I can heal him," Bonnie said with a matter-of-factness that made Tyler gulp.

"Maybe leave the magic for later. Humans need doctors," Marcel said. He came over and bent over to help Tyler get Ric on his feet.

"Since when do you care, didn't you come to steal Ric's job?" Bonnie demanded. Her eyes lit up with an other-worldly glow. Tyler really wished Freya would finish up whatever in the hell she was up to and get back home, before Bonnie imploded, or exploded, or some kind of plodded.

Marcel shook his head. "Look. I get that your friend is –"

"Don't say it!" Bonnie growled out, her fingertips sparking. "Don't either of you say it!" she snapped, her eyes flicking to Hayley. The sixteen-year-old brunette had come to stand closer to them. "You don't get to breath her name. Do you understand me?"

"Sure. Not a prob, B. But can we stop at a Burger King? I'm craving a Whopper," Hayley suggested as they left the graveyard.

Tyler's eyes flicked over to the Caroline's gravestone. He wished things hadn't turned out how they did. Bonnie's anger worried him. But Klaus' short fuse had them all on edge. Soon, Tyler knew the vampire would be back. And God help all of them.

~0~

"Drat. I hate these old castles. No reception!" Rebekah moaned. She stalked the cavernous room, her precious phone in her hand. She bit her lower lip, shaking her long mane. "What if Jer called me and it wouldn't go through?" she complained.

Klaus rolled his eyes. "At least your boyfriend can make a call."

Pausing, Rebekah sighed. "Nik, I am sorry about –" She stopped talking when Klaus turned on her. The look on his face must have conveyed what his words would also do, but he did not speak as often. And he never spoke her name. Anyone who was around him would be wise to do the same.

"Ah, look, we have a delivery," Kol said. He tossed a whimpering villager onto the carpet.

The villager scrambled around the floor like a scared mouse. She beseeched them not to harm her. She had a family. She was the youngest. On and on. Klaus stalked over to her. He caught her by the neck and lifted her to look him in the eye. She stopped speaking, a kind of horror dawning on her.

Klaus craned his neck to look at Kol. "She looks like…" He refused to finish the sentence. "Leave here," he whispered to the girl. Never go near strange men again." He tossed the girl aside and went back to brooding in his chair.

Kol strode over. "Brother, you have to eat!" he snapped. "And I need to return. Bonnie must miss me terribly."

"I'd say she missed our sister more," Rebekah retorted, holding her phone up above her head and scowled at the screen. "Damn it!"

"What is that to mean, sister?" Kol snarled out. He sped over and took Bekah's phone from her. "Tell me what you mean!" Kol hissed out, showing Rebekah his fangs.

"Don't you drop a fang at me, Kol Mikaelson!" Rebekah snarled, showing her own fangs. "Now, give me back my phone, before I take it back and shove something up your –"

"Enough!" Klaus shouted, rising to his feet. "I came here for silence. If you wish to drive me mad, I will be happy to dagger you both and place you back in your boxes!" He watched his siblings. Kol handed the phone to Rebekah. With a sigh, Klaus fell back into his seat and stared into the fire.

All Klaus ever saw anymore was Caroline. He thought he could still feel her presence. He dreamed of her. A lovely and intoxicating dream. Closing his eyes, Klaus saw his dream Caroline. She stood before him. Her hair hanging down in a mass of golden curls. Her lips revealed a teasing smile.

However, Klaus felt his stomach turn when Caroline's eyes turned black. All of her light smothered by the darkness that he'd created within her. Her fangs came out and she laughed in a way that was so alien to the Caroline he knew that every sweet dream ended with him plunging a stake into the heart of his beloved. She was a monster.

"Brother," Freya's voice made Klaus turn his attention to his older sister. She came striding in. Her boots were muddy as well as the bottoms of her riding pants. "I have had word from the local witches. It is true. They confirm that a new threat has come to pass. A darkness has risen and it shall lead to the fall of every last creature on the planet. We must return."

"Return?" Kol replied. "With him? With you?" He shook a finger at Freya. "You, my dear, are quite mad if you think I'll allow you anywhere near Bonnie."

"Like you can stop me," Freya sneered. "Besides, brother, it is the twenty-first century." she stripped her gloves off as she spoke. "Miss Bennett can choose who she prefers."

"Well, it won't be you," Kol retorted, glaring and sitting down on the arm of a couch.

Rebekah let out snort. "Looks like the new slayer's making quite the name for herself."

Now, Klaus sat forward in his chair. "What, pray tell, does that mean?" he demanded.

Rebekah shrugged. "Jeremy says that Hayley's killed more vampires than…the other one did in her first week."

"With help?" Kol added.

Shrugging, Rebekah went back to her phone. "She was taken by the council as a child. Raised within its ranks. She was taught how to kill vamps since she was little." Freya said.

The other siblings stared at Freya before she looked up. "I can research, too, you know. And I might have made a friend, or two, in New Orleans."

"You have friends?" Kol offered Freya a mocking smile.

Sitting back, Klaus steepled his fingers. "Good."

"Good?" Rebekah demanded. "How is this good? She thinks we have a debt to settle with the council. How is her being good at this…good? It's a death warrant, is what it is."

"Never fear, Bekah. Nik's sinister mind is plotting, aren't you, brother?" Kol inquired. "He'll work on a way to put an end to this silliness with The Hunter's Council, mark my words."

Kol was right. Klaus damned well intended on ending their golden girl and nailing her heart to their door before he flooded their pretty courtyard with blood. The thought left Klaus smiling. "Freya is right. It is time that we returned home. Isn't it?" He watched Kol and Bekah trade smirks before he got to his feet. "Then it is settled. We return tonight."

~0~

"Okay, kid. Show us what you've got," Marcel coaxed Hayley.

Grinning, she spun in a circle, her leg flying and she felt a thrill when her foot connected with the piece of wood Marcel held between them. Bonnie and Tyler sat on the stairs, watching and sharing a bag of Doritos. "Show off," Tyler called out.

Hayley grinned. "I'm so much better than last month!" she cheered, jumping up and down and punching at the air. "Come on, Powers of Darkness! Show me what you got!"

The double doors of the library opened and Jeremy Gilbert came in. "They got Klaus Mikaelson." He waved his phone. "According to Bekah's, he's due to arrive tonight." Going to sit on the end of the table nearest the doorway, Jeremy cocked an eyebrow. "You're not ready to take him on."

"Really?" Hayley demanded. "What makes you an expert?" she demanded.

Jeremy slid off the table. He held up his hands. "Fight me." He challenged her.

Laughing, Hayley shook her head. "No. You're human. I'd break you."

"I'm not kidding," Jeremy replied. He picked up a book and tossed it at Hayley. "Hit me," he cried.

"No!" Hayley moved out of the way when Jeremy tossed a book at her head. "What is wrong with you?"

"Jeremy, cut it out, man," Tyler snapped. He got up and made his way toward Jeremy who pointed a finger at the wolf. Tyler hesitated, his head turning to look at Bonnie. She brushed off her hands but did not move to intercede. Hayley thought the witch didn't like her. That was fine. Hayley did not come here to make friends.

"Jer, you want to get your ass handed to you?" Marcel inquired, leaning against the counter.

Jeremy did not seem to be paying attention. His sole focus was on Hayley. "Come on, Hales. I'm just a human, remember? What are you afraid of?"

With a shake of her head, Hayley rolled her eyes. "Don't say I didn't warn you." She darted forward and raised her fist, ready to knock Jeremy out.

The doors opened and a cry came from whoever came in the door. "Get away from my brother!" Elena Gilbert's voice.

Too late. Hayley's fist made contact…with Jeremy's open hand. He did not even flinch. Now his fingers closed around Hayley's hand and he spun her into him, her back slammed into his chest. "See. Not ready," he grunted as she squirmed.

Letting go of Hayley; Jeremy stood back. "Again?"

"What are you doing?" Elena cried, moving to stand by Tyler. Her words were aimed at Jeremy.

"I'm fine, Lena. Go back to class," Jeremy said as Hayley aimed a double kick at his solar plexus. Again, he blocked her movements. This time Hayley felt the air whoosh out of her as her back hit the floor.

"You okay?" Jeremy asked, bending over her.

Feeling horrified that the human could beat her, Hayley knocked his hand away and scrambled to her feet. "I'm fine. Just… How the hell are you fighting like this?"

"Don't know," Jeremy shrugged. "I just started feeling different," Jeremy said with a shrug.

Marcel looked at Hayley. "Are Caroline…"

"No. It was before that. Not too long. Just something changed. I felt stronger. And I could sense…her." Jeremy nodded at Hayley. "And Caroline. You know, before…"

"You can sense me?" Hayley felt annoyed. She folded her arms over her chest. "What does that mean, Marcel?"

Marcel looked unsure. "I'm going to have to make some calls," he told them.

"Don't bother," Alaric Saltzman startled them. "He's a Hunter."

"I thought that's what I am," Hayley retorted, looking back at the former mentor of Caroline Forbes. "There can't be two of us."

"There aren't," Alaric said with a shake of his head. "You see, Jeremy's descended from a line of Hunters. We're the ones who watch over the Slayers. And most of us were not born for this gig. We simply learned to do this work. But sometimes Hunter's genes are passed through their families' lines. Like April, the girl that Kol killed in New Orleans. She had both the Slayer and Hunter genes. Made her one of kind. Now that's gone. Jeremy was triggered. Like you were when Care..."

"Right. So does that mean Jer's in charge of me, 'cause that's kind of sexist," Hayley said. She placed a hand on her hip. "Besides, I don't really like this whole his being able to kick my ass thing."

"Don't worry, Hayley," Alaric said. "Your powers will grow. And Jer's will ebb. Soon. When a new born-Hunter is triggered, they have amazing strength, but it dies off as they use it. Most of them use too much and the battery dies down. He'll always be stronger than humans, but never like this."

"Really?" Jeremy seemed disappointed. "So this is temporary?"

"Means you can keep fighting me and all you're doing is kicking your own ass, Super-Boy!" Hayley taunted Jer, feeling better. "Come on, want to go again?" She felt amused by the idea now that she knew the results.

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm out of here." He strode out of the room.

"What? You're scared of getting your ass kicked by the girl?" Hayley shouted after him. She could get used to this life. Grinning, she went over to the counter and collected a water bottle. "So much fun."

"You're forgetting about our Klaus problem," Marcel reminded her.

Hayley shrugged. "Let Jer fight him. I'll watch." She leaned against the counter.

"This isn't funny, Hayley," Alaric snapped. "Since Caroline…Klaus is going to be even more irrational than ever. And he won't stop until he rips you apart."

Shrugging, Hayley hopped on the counter. "I'm not scared of him. He wants to deal with his grief by kicking the crap out me, let him come, but I won't sit around like a scared little mouse. If he wants to kill me, he's going to have one hell of a fight on his hands."

~0~

Rolling around in the dirt with a vampire on top of her, Caroline Forbes let out an annoyed snarl. It looked like all of the old vamps who'd ever escaped her stake were after her. They seemed to think her turning had changed her abilities. Idiots.

"I. Am. Not. In. The. Mood!" Caroline snapped, flinging the vamp into a wall, pummeling it before staking him. "I just wanted to pick up a Rom-Com and a pizza. It's a Friday night and my dating potential is dismal."

With a shrug, Caroline made her way down the empty street. "Stupid vamp," she grumbled, looking at her smushed pizza. At least it hadn't fallen—face-side up—in the sodden pavement. Now, she just needed to find that perfect Rom-Com. She'd had enough drama to get through a lifetime. Not that Caroline really felt like watching someone else's romance.

Speaking of which… Rounding the corner, Caroline saw a couple necking. She cocked her head to one side and pulled out a slice of pizza. What would taste really good with this would be some nice, warm B-positive. Where in the hell had that come from.

Caroline shoved the rest of the slice into the box. Making her way to the lonely little apartment she'd rented four weeks ago, Caroline fished out her key and slid it into the door before entering. She kicked the door closed her behind while tossing the keys on the counter. Thankfully they did not rip another hole.

The first week she accidently ripped a hole in the kitchen wall. Caroline had to work on her self-control, all over again. Yay. Rolling her eyes, Caroline went to the fridge, pulled out a blood bag and made her way to the couch.

Picking up the remote, she flipped on the TV. _The_ _Notebook_ was playing. Caroline opened the pizza box and settled in for the night.

Eyes sliding closed after an hour, Caroline slid down the couch. Her body told her to sleep. As a vampire, she did not need to sleep as much as humans, but it felt good. It felt normal.

If only Caroline could manage not to dream. Over and over again, she found herself dreaming of Klaus. And Hayley. And death. Stupid. Stupid brain.

Tossing in her sleep, Caroline kicked over her coffee table and did not notice as the pizza and blood bag went flying. She let out a soft moan in her sleep.

"_Just go to bed. If Klaus shows up to kill ya; I'll let you know." Marcel stood in the middle of the living room. _

_Hayley let out a sarcastic laugh. "I'm not scared of him," she retorted. "Besides, Jer's the new Big, Bad Vampire Hunter thingy. Let him deal with Klaus." _

"_Tell that to Klaus," Alaric added, moving into Caroline's eyesight. He folded his arms over his chest. "I just lost Caroline. Please, just stay here until Klaus finds someone else to torture." _

"_Don't think it works that way. Isn't he, like, one of those obsessive psychos who nail puppies to doors and leave you scary "love" notes dripping with venom, probably literally. I'm not a baby. I will not hide with my thumb in my mouth." Hayley shrugged. "There was a prophecy that said Care would die, right? Well, if there's one for me; then I guess I can't fight fate." _

"_Hayley," Marcel ground out. "Go to bed." _

_Hayley scoffed but went into the bedroom, slamming the door. She went and sat on the bed. After a long moment, she snuck over to a closet, took out a bag and then went to her window. Lifting it, she climbed out. _

_The scene melted away and Caroline watched Klaus stalking to the cemetery where Caroline was buried. "Come out, Slayer," he shouted, turning on his heel. "And face me. If you dare." A little smile played on his face. _

_Hayley came out from behind a tree. "Come to kill me. Well, come on. Let's end this." _

_Blows were traded and Hayley laid in the mud, her face twisting as she tried to stand. Her right cheek was puffy. Blood poured from a wound in her left leg. Her right arm hung useless at her side. She smiled a bloody, grim smile. "Is that the best you've got?" _

Waking, Caroline sat bolt upright. She shook her head. Same dream. Every night. Weeks now. Ever since she died. Pushing her feet into her sneakers. Caroline sped into the kitchen. She grabbed her keys. Now, it was time for her nightly routine.

~0~

Foot pressed down on the gas pedal, Caroline urged the old car she'd compelled from a guy who liked to speed. He'd only end up killing someone one day.

Rain had begun to pour down. Just like in her dream. It rained other nights, over the month and Caroline never knew if she was losing her mind or if Klaus really would try to kill Hayley. And why the hell did Caroline care? She was in retirement. Hayley was the newbie. No need for two of them, especially now that Caroline was part of the We Sport Fangs Club.

Pulling onto a side street, Caroline made her way to the cemetery. Her boots spat out glops of mud and water. But her steps were silent. Funny.

Sounds of a fight. Nothing new. Just some rando vamps. They'd picked on the wrong group tonight. Caroline went in through the gate. Her instincts sent her closer and closer to her grave. A girl's dark form was fanned out over the grave. Her eyes were round and fierce. She was fighting death itself.

A man's hand came down to connect with the girl's already battered face and to shatter Caroline's gravestone.

With one, quick leap, Caroline flew straight ahead. She went over the man's head and landed in a crouch over his would-be victim. Hair falling over her face, Caroline peered at the girl through her sopping mane. Not dead. Still breathing.

"How…" the girl cried, shaking her head. She looked defeated, half-dead, and a tiny prickle of fear seemed to course through her because she shuddered. Or maybe she was cold.

Jerking off her jacket, Caroline wrapped it around Hayley's shaking, bleeding body before she turned on her heel to face her enemy, her lover and the man who'd killed her.

"Caroline?" Klaus hissed out. He did not look any happier to see her than she felt to see him. "You're dead."

"Not quite," Caroline retorted, baring fangs at him and waiting for the attack, that she felt inevitable, to come.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, my lovely readers. We've got Klaroline. We've got drama. And we have one hell of a reunion. On with the show…**

Chapter 2: She's Alive! Sort of…

Rain dribbled down Caroline's nose. If she were still alive, she would be shivering from the feelings of the cool liquid drops on her skin. All Caroline really felt was impatient for the fight. Klaus just kept examining her. His head cocked to the side. His nostrils flared as he sniffed the air. Then his eyes darkened. Yes. This was it. This was when the old dance began between them. And like he could hear her thoughts, a mirthless smirk appeared on Klaus' mouth before he launched himself at her.

Caroline felt Klaus' foot at the same second that her hands flew upward—faster than they'd ever moved when she was still breathing—and wrapped around Klaus' ankle, twisting it. Klaus' body spun in the air, rotating in a complete circle before Caroline shoved his foot away from her face. She watched as he toppled to the ground.

A frown made Klaus' brows draw together. Something seemed to dawn on him as Caroline hunched over, raising her balled fists in front of her. Klaus' hands dug into the mud beneath as he moved onto to all fours. A vicious growl came from the back of his throat. His eyes turned an otherworldly yellow. His fangs came out and came at her. This time he did not rush. He took his time. His movements directed Caroline's vision to the left. This way she knew he meant to attack her from her right.

When Klaus leapt into the air, Caroline sent her left foot in an arc which swept from right, to left, and Klaus let out a groan of pain as the sound of cracked ribs filled the air. Caroline's stomach filled with acid, the bile moving toward her throat.

"You fight well, Demon," Klaus snarled, landing on his back. But he was up in seconds.

Caroline knew this was a bad sign. He was feeling her out. Searching for weaknesses, probing her abilities. "I. Am. Not. A. Demon," Caroline growled out.

"You're sure about that?" Klaus demanded with a grin. His eyes were twinkling with delight, but it was not being with her that delighted him. It was the fight.

A low moan came from behind Caroline. Hayley. Twisting her sopping locks, Caroline caught sight of Hayley and found the younger girl trying to get to her feet. "Stay down!" Caroline snapped. She reached out, placing a heavy hand on Hayley's good shoulder and shoving the girl back down, probably with a little too much effort. Hayley let out a cry of pain when her back connected with the gravestone and she looked stunned.

On bright side, the younger Slayer did not try to rise. On the not-so-bright side, Klaus took advantage of Caroline's lapse. She knew it when she sensed him, a second before he took hold of her shoulders and drove her forward.

Caroline felt pain rocket through her forehead, like the on-coming of every headache she'd ever had in her human life combined. Blood pooled from her nose. He'd broken her nose. Damn it. Caroline would have lifted her head from the gravestone Hayley was leaned up against and Caroline's face had had a meeting with, but Klaus' hands were still on her. He really wanted to dance as he spun her away from the gravestone and threw over several other gravestones before her back connected with an angel.

The angel stared down at Caroline. "What are you looking so happy about?" Caroline demanded, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. Focusing her attention, she saw Klaus taking hold of Hayley's shirt, jerking up and opening his mouth to take a big bite.

"Oh, no, you don't! You're supposed to be dancing me, Klaus!" Caroline yelled, getting up.

Klaus dropped Hayley and turned to Caroline. "Well than, lover. Let's dance. Shall we?" He waved his hands at her in a beckoning movement. His smile just plainly pissed her off.

Rolling her shoulders, Caroline grinned. "This feels familiar." She sprinted toward Klaus and sent a volley of punches toward his face and midsection. He met each with a block. Foot coming up, Caroline sent Klaus to his knees. "You're not going to kill her. Tonight. Or any other night. Got me, mister?"

"That's not for you to tell me," Klaus replied, taking her hand and tossed her over his head.

Groaning, Caroline felt mud coating her hair. "Son of a bitch." She pushed up and then caught Klaus as he moved to walk over her. Her leg caught him in the femur and he glared down at her as his leg went from under him. "Actually, it is for me to say. I am The Slayer!"

"No. You are not!" Klaus growled. Then he was on top her, choking her. His fingers dug into her neck. Caroline felt certain Klaus meant to rip her head off. "You are not Caroline! Caroline is dead! She is dead! Do you hear me? You will not replace her!" His words came out in a hiss as his lips brushed her ear. "You wear her face but you are nothing like her. I will not allow you desecrate her corpse for one more instant."

"Klaus! Let go!" Caroline gasped out. She took hold of a piece of broken gravestone and smacked him in the side of the head with it.

Letting out a cry of pain, Klaus rolled off of Caroline. Rolling onto her knees, Caroline panted. She thought that being this monstrous thing would have benefits, like not feeling pain, or something cool like that. Noooo. She still felt pain. And right now she felt a lot of it. It was kind of annoying.

"Hayley," Caroline groaned, getting to her feet. "Call for help," she said. Then she noticed the piece of wood sticking out beneath her heart. More than a splinter, less than a branch. "Are you kidding me?" she groaned, falling to her knees.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who thinks you are an abomination," Klaus said with a laugh. He got to his feet and made his way over to Hayley. Reaching down with one hand, he took hold of her by the hair. "Say 'Good-bye' to the new Slayer in town." He lifted a fingernail, extra sharp from where he'd allow his wolf-side to come out and play, and placed it to Hayley's neck. "Good night, girl."

Caroline felt anger wash over her. She couldn't make it to Hayley. The fight was over. Klaus won. His finger began to draw blood and Hayley's large eyes went huge with terror and she let out a whimper. "Please…" she cried. "Please…" Her eyes were on Caroline.

"Enough!" A thunderous shout shocked everyone from the parts they were playing. Then a figure entered the scene. "Niklaus, let go of the girl. Now! I will not ask again."

Elijah Mikaelson. He stood facing his brother. Caroline could not understand the look on Elijah's face. But his face had that "I'm not screwing around" tone she'd become familiar with.

"Brother, don't worry. I'll make it quick." Klaus replied, still drawing his finger across Hayley's throat as she pleaded for her life.

Letting out a sigh of annoyance, Elijah's jacket moved and then he shot Klaus in the shoulder with something. "Wolfsbane!" Klaus shouted. His eyes rounded.

"A special concoction," Freya added, coming into view.

"You helped him?" Klaus demanded.

Freya nodded. "I did."

"Traitors. Both of you." Klaus dropped Hayley to the ground before he sent a scathing look in Caroline's direction. "Don't think this over. I'll be back to finish this act."

"We're sure you will be," Caroline groaned, ripping the branch out from her side and letting out a groan of relief as Klaus disappeared into the darkness. "He always come back," she muttered. Looking up, Caroline couldn't help but add, "Come back when you're feeling a little more stable! We'll do coffee!"

There was no response and she let out a sigh, planting her hands down in the mud and crying relief. "Is there such a thing as vampire painkillers?" she mused to the mud she was staring at.

A hand came down in front of her face. Caroline lifted her head to look up at Freya. "No. But I think I can whip you up something with my herbs." The witch nodded and Caroline took Freya's clean palm, muddying it.

"Why are you helping me?" Caroline asked Freya. Her eyes went to Elijah who was scooping up Hayley. "Us," she corrected. It would take some getting used to—this whole there being two of them thing—but Caroline thought she would learn to deal.

"Because I think there's much more to this story and I'd like to be there when you find the answers to that which you seek," Freya said.

"And in normal people speak?" Caroline quipped.

Freya smirked. "You'll see."

_Oh, goody cryptic girl joins the team_, Caroline thought as she rolled her eyes.

~0~

Alaric Saltzman had been asleep, sort of, when his cell began to ring and he rolled onto his side. He blinked at it and sighed. "Nope. Not with me. No, I don't know where she is. Why?"

Jo Laughlin sat up beside him. "What's going on, Ric?" she asked, yawning and rubbing her eyes as she studied him.

"Nothing important. Go back to sleep." Ric offered his girlfriend a quick smile to say everything was fine.

Jo frowned and stared at him. She shook her head in an "I don't believe you," manner.

Marcel Gerard's voice went up in volume. "I just went in, to check on her and Hayley is gone. Where in the hell could she have gone?" He was practically shouting.

Rubbing his eyes, Alaric shook his head. "Not a clue." Then it dawned on him. "Graveyard."

"Sounds like some dumb shit she'd pull." Marcel let out a groan of frustration.

Feeling a little bit of sympathy but more than a bit of joy at his replacement anxiety over the new Slayer, Ric said, "We could meet up and see if she's there."

"Fine." Marcel hung up.

Pushing his legs over the side of the bed, Ric felt all the pain of his newest injuries. The pain wouldn't stop him. If Hayley had gotten in over her head, Ric would jump into action because this was still his role to play. To hell with what The Hunter's Council thought about it.

"Are you going somewhere?" Jo asked as Ric made his way over to the dresser, removing pants, a clean shirt and boxers. "Ric?"

"Yeah. Yes." Ric turned to look at Jo in his shirt. Some part of him felt like he should be here, with her, but the other part of him felt like needed to be out there, fighting the good fight. "Marcel called. Hayley's out there. Somewhere. Probably trying to get dead. So, I am going to go be Action Man and help save the day. Maybe." He offered Jo a quick smile. "Be back before dawn." He turned his back. "Hopefully."

"Sure. Right. Am I supposed to go back to bed? Get a good night's sleep? Get up in the morning and make us breakfast? Do the _New_ _York_ _Times_ crossword. All the while waiting for my adorable, but somewhat caveman like new boyfriend come home after getting thumped with a club?" Her brows went up and a little smile played on her lips. "Nope. I'm coming with."

"Jo, this is dangerous," Ric protested, moving toward Jo and trying to reason with her as she wiggled into her jeans.

"No. I can play hero, too. I'm a doctor. Remember?" Jo grinned and stood up, pressing her lips to his for a quick kiss. "Now, get dressed. We have a teen to save from her own self-destructive tendencies."

Grinning, Ric got dressed before opening his closet and withdrew his weapons bag. "Ready?" he asked.

"Whenever you are," Jo replied.

Together they left Alaric's apartment building and walked into the pouring rain.

~0~

"Do you see her?" Marcel shouted, he had one hand over his eyes and blinked around him.

Ric shook his head. He'd pulled his hood up but it did little to prevent the downpour from dripping down and obscuring his line of sight.

Jo called out and waved her hand. "Over here!" she shouted. Ric and Marcel made their way over to where Jo stood. She held a pair of tweezers. "This looks like her hair." She held up the tweezers and Ric nodded, not really sure of whose hair it was.

Glancing around, Ric did not like the looks of the scene. "Looks like there was a fight," he said.

"Ya think." Marcel shook his head. "With the broken bits of grave. Blood. You know. The regular sights." He crouched down and examined something. "Looks like she had company."

"What makes you say that?" Jo asked, huddling near Ric.

"Piece of satin. Hales doesn't really wear that kind of stuff." Taking the piece of fabric between his fingers, he showed it to Ric. "What do you think?"

Ric took the piece of cloth. "You're right." He might have known Hayley for five seconds but she did not seem the type to wear this kind of fabric to a fight. Not on purpose anyway.

"Where would she go?" Jo asked them. "If she escaped? Not the hospital. Too many questions."

"Probably the school," Ric surmised. "If not, we can call around and see if any of the others have heard from her."

"Right." Marcel nodded. "'Cause they're all so close."

Ric felt the desire to tear into the new guy but Jo placed a hand on Ric's shoulder. "We'll see you at the high school." She turned Ric toward his car. "Let's go."

Marching toward his car, Alaric felt his hands shaking as he opened the driver's side door. "You okay?" Jo asked him once they'd settled.

"No." Ric shook his head. "My Slayer is dead. That jackass has my job. I am so not okay."

"Just take deep, calming breathes," Jo ordered him. "I'm a doctor. You can trust me."

"Sure." Ric let out a quiet laugh. "Okay. I'm driving to the high school now." And he would not punch Marcel. No matter how much he really, really, really wanted to.

~0~

A call came through and Bonnie sat up in bed. She'd hardly slept. Some part of her had been waiting for this call. "Bonnie, it's Ric. Hayley isn't at your place, is she?" His tone sounded doubtful.

"No." Bonnie shook her head. She flipped her legs over the side of her bed. Making her way over to her closet, she removed a pair of shoes. She'd never taken her clothes off. Still had a pair of jeans and a sweater on.

The doorbell went off downstairs and Bonnie paused. "Someone is at the door. I'll be right back." Her grams was at a friend's for the next week. This left Bonnie alone and the only one to answer the door. Stopping, with her hand on the lock; Bonnie felt her heart begin to pound.

Inhaling, Bonnie twisted the lock and then twisted the doorknob. She opened the door and felt her knees go weak. "Hi," she cried, throwing her arms around the man who stood in the door's neck.

"Hello, Bonnie!" Kol cried, picking her up off her feet.

"Ric, I'll have to call you back," Bonnie said, hanging up.

"What was that about? Taken up with the deficient hunter since I've been gone?" Kol inquired, kissing Bonnie's neck.

"No." Bonnie shook her head. She let out a quiet laugh. Then she sobered up. "If you're here… Is Klaus…" She pushed at Kol's chest until he set her on her feet.

"Bonnie, let's not worry about what scandalous thing my brother's been up to. I just got you back. I want to go upstairs. Or we can stay down here. If you prefer." Kol's grin made Bonnie laugh. His hands went to her hips and he drew her to him. "Come on, love. It's been too long since we've been together." His lips went to hers and Bonnie inhaled sharply.

Then her phone began to ring in her hand, again, "Ugh. I have to get this," Bonnie groaned. She lifted the phone to her ear. "Hello?" she called into the phone as Kol's fingers went to unbutton her jeans, easing it open and his hand…

"Bonnie." Then the world stopped. So did Kol's hand. The look on his face might have been comical if Bonnie did not believe she had the same exact look on her face. "Bonnie, are you there?"

"I'm here," Bonnie replied, her voice shaking. "Who is this?"

Bonnie already knew who it was. She'd know the voice anywhere. "Bonnie, I need you to come to the high school. Hayley, she's hurt. Freya's trying to work on her. There's a lot of blood. But I'm struggling with these new impulse-control issues. And I need you, Bon."

"Okay." Bonnie heard her voice from somewhere, very far away, maybe in Switzerland. Definitely the Alps. "We'll be there soon." Hanging up, Bonnie looked at Kol.

"Was that?" Kol looked as confused as Bonnie felt.

"Yeah. I mean. I think so…" Bonnie shook her head. "I need my –"

But Kol had already grabbed her jacket. "Thanks," she muttered. In a daze, Bonnie left her house. She was on her way to meet up with her dead friend, Caroline.

~0~

Entering the high school, Bonnie steeled herself for whatever kind of crazy attack was coming her way. Someone wanted to lure her here. Someone with a very bad sense of humor. And Bonnie would be happy to end them. She curled her fingers, feeling the magic pooling there.

Kol pushed the door open and Bonnie went inside. She rounded a corner and found herself face-to-face with her best friend. "Bonnie!" Caroline cried, throwing her arms around Bonnie. Caroline smelled like mud. And she was dripping wet. Bonnie thought she smelled blood.

And she could feel the vampire emanating from Caroline in waves. Never had Bonnie felt it this strong, on anyone who wasn't an Original. This was stronger. Over-powering. Almost.

"Care?" Bonnie whispered, still in shock.

"Uh-huh," Caroline murmured, still hugging Bonnie.

Slowly, Bonnie encircled Caroline's waist with her arms. Tears began to roll down her cheeks. "You're dead."

"That's what Klaus said, too." Caroline pulled back. Red tears ran down her cheeks. She brushed them away quickly. Her cheeks reddened and a look annoyance passed over her face. "Sorry. Blood tears. Hashtag: Eww!" Laughing, she rolled her eyes. "Oh, boy."

"How are you…" Kol seemed lost for words and Bonnie looked over to watch her boyfriend looking Caroline over. His mouth turned down at the edges and his eyes were narrowed. "This is impossible."

"I know." Caroline nodded. "Klaus thought so, too. I think that's why he tried to kill me."

"Klaus tried to kill you?" Bonnie said, slowly. "Why?"

"Trying to kill Hayley. It felt like we were two dogs after the same steak. Only I didn't want to eat her." Caroline shrugged.

Kol opened his mouth before Bonnie gave him a long look through narrowed eyes. That's when Freya appeared. "Bonnie, good. You're here. I need help with these ointments. They have healing properties but are not quite helping speed up the healing process like I thought they would."

Freya led Bonnie over to Hayley. The new Slayer laid on a table. Her chest moved up and down with a slowness that made Bonnie re-focus from one drama to another. "I was thinking –" Freya began when there was noise by the entrance to the library.

"Hayley!" Marcel came pushing past Kol and came to stand over his charge. "What in the hell happened to her?" he demanded, glaring at Freya and Bonnie like they'd done the damage.

"No idea." Bonnie glared back at the man. "Back off, so we can try to heal her."

Then Jo came to join them. "Can I take a look?" she asked them. Without waiting for an answer, she took Hayley's wrist in her hand and looked at her watch. "Her pulse is steady." Pulling back a lid, she peered at the teen's eyes. "Pupils are equal and reactive. With a blood test, I get a more accurate results."

"That would mean a visit to the hospital." Marcel said. "No way. Too many questions. She's a Slayer. She'll heal on her own."

"Sure she will," Caroline said, startling the rest of them. "Like Ric will come out of his state of shock in five, four, three, two…"

Bonnie glanced over to see Ric. He stood a few feet from Caroline. "How? When? Why? You didn't call?" He stopped talking.

Folding her arms over her chest, Bonnie stared at Caroline. "Yeah, Caroline, why didn't you let us know you are alive?"

"Well…" Caroline rolled her eyes. "I guess… You… It's strange…" For the first time that Bonnie knew Caroline; Caroline did not seem to have an answer for something.

"Did you ever plan on letting us know?" Ric snapped, coming to stand a little too close to Caroline.

Bonnie took a step forward. "Ric…" she called, but Ric held up a hand.

"No. I want to know. Caroline. Did you ever plan on telling us you were back?" Ric's tone went up octaves as he spoke.

Caroline threw up her hands. "I'm sorry I didn't send a card: Hey, I'm not dead! But, wait, there's more! I'm a vampire! I'm a freakin' Vampire Slayer! Irony one-oh-one!" Letting out a laugh, she shook her head. "Yeah."

The door opened and Tyler and Jeremy came in. "Wow!" Tyler cried, looking shocked. "Caroline? What in the hell? Am I dreaming? Someone pinch me!"

Jeremy sprinted across the room and launched himself at Caroline. They went flying through the air, to land on top of a table which broke under their combined weight and pressure. His hand went to grab a stake and then he attempted to plunge it through Caroline's heart.

With a cry, Caroline managed to place a foot on Jeremy's solar plexus. She lifted him in the air with the other foot and sent him flying over the remaining table. He landed beside Tyler. Grunting, Jeremy flipped himself upright and moved toward Caroline, again; when Freya moved between them. "_Rigescunt_ _indutae_!" she cried.

Jeremy and Caroline froze in place. Freya sighed. "Right. I think that maybe there's been enough of people trying to kill each other." Bonnie could not agree more. "The next one you who tries something will be stuck like this until I choose to unfreeze you."

"Does that mean you can un-do this?" Caroline asked.

Snapping her fingers, Freya stood still while Caroline and Jeremy began to move; just not toward each other.

However, that did not stop Jer from attacking Caroline verbally. "You want us to just let this thing go?" Jer demanded, waving in Caroline's direction. "She's got to be dangerous." His eyes went around the room before landing on the wounded Slayer. "She attacked Hayley!"

"No! I did not, Jeremy Gilbert!" Caroline placed her hands on her hips. "And since when did you get super powers?" She glanced around for an answer. "Well?"

"About the same time that you died," Jeremy snapped. "You know, a balance. Light," he gestured at himself. "Dark," he gestured at Caroline. "So, who did attack Hayley?"

"Klaus!" Caroline snapped; her eyes widened. "I thought that would be obvious. Looks like they gave you super powers but forgot to add some new brain cells."

Jeremy let out a snarl and made a move. Freya held out a hand and he stopped. "Whatever. I'm out. Let me know if Hayley makes it. Like to know that there will be one other hero running around with that," he pointed at Caroline, "having dug her way out of her grave."

Caroline shook her head. "Looks like I'm not getting that 'We're happy you're alive' party after all." Turning to look at the others, she smiled. "So, how was your month?" Sounded like the Caroline Bonnie knew, but was it, really?

**I hope to begin making weekly updates in mid-December. *Fingers crossed.***

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, my lovely readers. More reunions are underway and the drama continues to deepen. On with the show…**

Chapter 3: Young Lady, You Have Some Explaining To Do!

Stalking into the Mystic Falls High library, Rebekah Mikaelson stopped by the tables. Her hands went to her hips and she glowered at everyone else there. She could not believe that she'd come behind Tyler bloody Lockwood, the friend tree. Someone would pay for not keeping Rebekah in the loop of what was going on around here. Then she noted that even her just-appeared-out-of-the-blue-sister, Freya, was there, too. Well, that did it.

"Does someone want to explain to me why no one texted me!" Rebekah demanded, her voice rising in pitch with each new syllable.

"Sorry, Bekah. We've been a little busy," Bonnie snapped. The witch's green eyes burned into Rebekah who glanced at the Slayer on the table. Rebekah sniffed before turning her sights on Caroline. "Well, is anyone not worried about the Dead Slayer in the room?" Brows going up, Rebekah watched Caroline cross her arms over her chest. "Care to explain, Caroline? Or whoever you really are?"

"Funny. This is the same 'tude your brother was giving me. Right before I kicked his ass. Would you like some of this, too?" Caroline cocked her head to the side.

"Caroline," Freya called. Her hands were gripping the edge of the table that Hayley laid on and the look she was sending the dead girl was not a friendly one. But the one she sent her sister's way was not anymore kind. "Rebekah. If you wish to help, please, take a seat. You might be needed. Soon."

"What's going on?" Rebekah asked, moving closer to the table. She stopped when Caroline stepped in front of her. "Move, Little Zombie, or I'll take your head off," Bekah hissed out.

"One: I'm not a zombie," Caroline hissed back, her fangs popping out and then she added, "Two: Klaus is the reason Hayley is in this condition. So, back the hell off, Mikaelson."

Inhaling, Rebekah took a single step backwards. "You've turned?" Shaking her head, she moved to pull out a seat and dropped into it. "That's not possible. I know. I've seen it fail."

Kol jumped in. "More than once," he added. "She was there for at least two of my attempts. Must be more to your story. You weren't part vampire. Before? Were you?" He examined Caroline whose brows came together in a skeptical expression.

"No, stupid. She was a human," Rebekah said with a dismissive hand wave in her brother's direction. "However, Kol, idiot that he is; does have a point. There must be something different about you. Something not quite human."

"I was human. One hundred percent," Caroline argued. The downturn of her lips made Rebekah wonder if the girl truly believed her own words.

"This isn't working," Freya said to Bonnie, interrupting the current conversation. "Why isn't it working? She should be healing already." Taking a longer look at the scratch on Hayley's neck, she frowned. "I think she's been poisoned. Tyler, get me a cup. I need to go to the Chem lab and test this."

Tyler moved across the room and went to stand behind the counter. He came back with an empty coffee mug. "This work?" he asked.

"Yes." Freya held out a hand and Tyler moved to bring the coffee mug as everyone else became quiet. The witch withdrew a knife from her purse and Elijah placed his hands on Hayley's shoulders while Freya dug under Hayley's skin, around the wound and something dark slipped into the mug. "Bonnie?"

Bonnie and Freya left the library and Rebekah watched Kol's eyes trail the pair out of the room. "You!" Rebekah snapped at her brother. "Why didn't you call me?"

"Who did tell you?" Caroline asked.

Rolling her eyes, Rebekah tossed her hair over her shoulder. "No one. I came to grab a book for classes. Thought I could do it with the place locked up for the night. I heard voices coming from the library. How shocking to find my dead friend wandering about and not one of my other friends—or family—deigned to tell me of the development."

"We just found out," Elijah said. "Freya tracked Niklaus to the graveyard. We meant to stop him from killing Hayley. I was just as shocked as you are now to find Caroline there, too."

"You. Could. Have. Told. Me." Rebekah snapped. She felt more than mildly irritated.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "My mom doesn't know yet."

Jaw dropping, Rebekah turned to stare at Caroline. "You haven't gone home? Your poor mother! You need to go home! This instant!"

"And do what, Rebekah, scare Liz half to death. She buried her child. She thinks that Caroline is dead." Alaric broke his silence, his hands clasped in front him as he sat forward in a chair two tables away from Rebekah's. "This is insane. None of us knows how to deal with Caroline's coming back. And we can't just spring her on people."

"Does that mean I can't come back to school?" Caroline asked, eyes wide.

Alaric looked at Caroline. "I don't know."

"But… But I'll miss Senior Prom. And graduation…" Caroline sat down on top of the table between Rebekah and Alaric, placing her elbows on her knees and her chin on her palms. "What am I supposed to do? Skip to college?"

Rolling her eyes, Rebekah looked at the ceiling. "What a tragedy."

Caroline turned her head to glare at Rebekah. "You've been dead forever and I bet you've still planned out your outfit for prom."

Opening her mouth and shutting it; Rebekah settled for a dark look. That's when Freya and Bonnie came back into the room. "Test results are back in. He's given her nightshade."

"Like in Romeo and Juliet?" Tyler asked. "Does it mean she'll wake up?"

"You actually bothered to read?" Caroline quipped.

Tyler opened his mouth but Freya cut in. "This is not like Shakespeare's writings. This poison has left our Slayer in a coma because she is stronger than the average human. But she is not strong enough to fight off the poison, simply delay the inevitable."

"Which is death?" Marcel demanded, coming to stand over Hayley. "How do we stop it?" he demanded.

"You help me find the ingredients for an antidote and don't do something stupid like trying to hunt down Niklaus. Your Slayer needs you. Getting yourself killed will not help." Freya's eyes were fixed on Marcel's.

Watching the Hunter's jaw lock, Rebekah could see that he was torn between his duty to his charge and going after her brother. "Stay with the girl. I will assist my sister."

Marcel's eyes moved to Rebekah. She could see the lack of trust there. "You want her alive?" she demanded, moving to her feet. "You must trust us."

"Trust the family of the monster who tried to kill her?" Marcel demanded, his hand going to Hayley's.

"Yes." Caroline pushed off the side of the table. "I'll go with them. Make sure they don't do anything funny. And I don't mean ha-ha." A little smirk appeared on her lips.

Marcel looked at Hayley. The frown on his face told Rebekah that Marcel was debating what he would do. "Is it worth her life?" Rebekah demanded. Her brows went up. "Waiting? Wondering whether or not you can trust us?"

Blowing out a breath, Marcel met Rebekah's eyes. "Go. I'm staying here."

"Right then," Rebekah looked at Caroline. "Shall we?"

Caroline got up. "Ric?"

"I'm staying behind. Jo might be able to help with medical stuff." Ric nodded at his girlfriend.

"Stuff? Jo chuckled. "Please, hurry."

"We will," Caroline said.

~0~

"Are you sure about this?" Caroline asked. Her feet carried her forward, but her eyes darted back and forth. She did not like walking into what could be a trap.

"I'm sure Niklaus is not here. I would be able to sense him." Freya offered Caroline a quick smile. It did not reassure Caroline.

The Vampire-Slayer's shoulders stayed tense as Freya unlocked the door with a key. Bonnie entered the house right behind Freya. Rebekah went in behind the witches. Caroline the last to enter. Her eyes swept the length of the foyer. She opened her mind and probed for anything.

What Caroline felt was one hell of an emotional whammy coming from all of the ladies present. Such a combination of feelings. Not being able to separate one from the other, Caroline groaned, and closed her mind off. She really hated her new power. Being able to sense how others felt did not sound very vampire-y and she found it irritating.

"What?" Bonnie called over her shoulder. She'd just begun to climb the stairs and was only a few steps behind Freya when she stopped.

Shaking her head, Caroline waved a hand. "It's nothing."

"Okay." Bonnie did not look like she believed Caroline but she continued her journey up the stairs.

"Shouldn't there be a secret garden—outside—where Freya keeps her healing herbs and botanicals?" Caroline questioned Bekah, stopping in front of one Klaus' paintings.

"She plans on beginning one. However, it takes time to grow them and to cultivate them," Rebekah looked at the painting. "Not his finest moment." She cocked her head to the side. "One of his many lovers. She was a stupid infatuation. Nothing for you to worry your silly, little head about."

"I'm not worried," Caroline replied. Still. She stood there, staring at the painting and wondering why Klaus would hang it after coming home. Did he want to rid himself of the memory of Caroline? Was she really dead to him?

Deciding not to worry about it, Caroline went over to a chair and plunked her butt in it. Blowing out a breath, Caroline rolled her eyes and watched the stairs. "Do you think I should tell my mom? Seriously?" Her eyes drifted up to meet Rebekah's.

Sighing, Rebekah came to lean against the wall beside the chair. She faced the stairs and folded her arms over her chest. In that moment, Rebekah looked like a pretty statue. "I think you should do what you think is best. I also think it would be best if your mother did not run into you on the street." Her eyes rolled to meet Caroline. A little smile appeared on her face. "That would be quite the shock. Don't you think?"

"Probably." Caroline shifted on the chair. "Do you think Klaus wants me to be dead?"

Now, Rebekah looked less certain. "Niklaus. He loved you. So very, very much. Right now, he believes the girl he loved is nothing more than the meat-suit for some kind of abomination. And he probably believes it is his fault. Which it is. Really. We all know that. His obsession with you. His desire to keep you, damn the cost… But Nature always demands a price. My brother believes you—what you are now—is the price. In trying to kill you, he's trying to correct his mistake."

"So, he think he's Frankenstein. And I'm what, the monster?" Caroline scoffed, feeling annoyed.

"Sums it up rather nicely. Actually," Rebekah replied with a wide grin.

"Great." Caroline fell back in the seat, her arms falling over the sides of the chair and her legs sprawled out in front of her. "What every girl wants to hear."

On cue, Bonnie came bouncing down the steps, "Freya thinks she has the antidote."

"Okay." Caroline nodded. "You guys go ahead. Let me know how it goes."

"Where are you going?" Bonnie asked as Caroline got to her feet.

"Home," Caroline replied, watching Bonnie frown.

"Caroline, are you sure that's a good idea. You didn't see your mom the day of the funeral…" Bonnie came to stand in front of Caroline. "You can stay with me. 'Til Grams comes home. She's a powerful witch. She might even be able to help you figure out how you're here."

"Thanks, Bon. But I need to do this," Caroline said. She placed a gentle hand on Bonnie's shoulder. "Thank you for not hating me."

"Hate you?" Bonnie let out a quiet laugh. "Caroline, I've known you since we were six. I can't hate you. No matter whether you occasionally drink blood and never have to sleep again."

Shaking her head, Caroline laughed. "I think I do have to sleep. A little…" She glanced at Rebekah who nodded. "Anyway, I'm headed out now. Good luck with the whole curing Hayley thing."

"I'll go with you," Rebekah said. "Moral support."

"No. I really need to do this by myself." Caroline watched Rebekah's face fall. "Maybe after we can have a sleepover. It can be my 'Welcome Back to the Land of the Living, or Not Party."

"We really need to go," Freya said, moving toward the door. "Sorry."

"Don't be." Caroline waved them off. "Go. Play hero. I've got a mom to traumatize." Bonnie looked a little worried about that last part but Rebekah propelled her out the door. "Bye," Caroline whispered.

Making her way out the front door of the Mikaelsons' home, Caroline made her way to the sidewalk. She knew she could just run all the way to her house. It would take her five minutes. In the end, Caroline preferred the idea of a long walk to clear her head of all the agitation of the last four hours. Four? So few to have gone through so much.

Caroline's mind whirled as she tried to process her boyfriend trying to kill her. Her friends having mixed feelings about her returning to the fold. What her life could be like now. No babies. No wedding with a normal, human guy. Although Caroline did not believe she still wanted a human boyfriend. It felt like so two years ago.

No more ordinary Slayer training. What would Ric do now? Did he need a whole new training manual? How-to-train-your-baby-vampire-slayer? Yup. Whole new territory. Whole new, scary territory. Maybe Hayley would just continue being the Slayer and Caroline could do consults. With Jeremy there to do whatever he was intended for.

Jeremy. He wanted to kill Caroline as much as Klaus did. Yup. Another problem. For another day. Fun to be had for all. All but Caroline.

That last thought left Caroline feeling glum and she kicked at a stone in front of her. Why did life have to be so complicated? And she wasn't even alive! She was dead! This was not fair. Apparently death was as unfair as life ever had been.

All of her thoughts had brought her closer and closer to her own front door and Caroline realized she stood two houses away. If only she'd taken a bit more time to figure out what to tell her mother. "Hi, Mom! I'm alive!" No. "Hi, Mom. Sorry you thought I was dead. Worst not-April Fool's joke ever!" Definitely not. "Hi, Mom…" Yeah, Caroline had nothing.

Sighing, Caroline squared her shoulders and marched toward her front door. She would say what was in her heart once her mother opened the door. Yup. That would work. She felt confident. Things would be fine.

Eyeing the windows, Caroline noted the lack of light coming from inside the house. Maybe her mom went to bed early? Or Liz was depressed and sat around the house with all the lights off. That thought made Caroline feel guilty. Bonnie had said that Liz was taking Caroline's death hard. This could be really bad. Maybe she should turn back.

No. Caroline would not chicken out when she was right outside the door. Shaking her head, Caroline inhaled sharply and lifted her hand, knocking on the door twice and with a heavy hand. If that didn't work, she would just use the spare key and give Liz a heart attack. No.

After a long couple of minutes, Caroline groaned. "Come on, Mom." She lifted her hand and knocked, again, this time with a heavier hand. If she used any more force; she would put a hole in it.

Again, no one came to the door. Feeling irritable, Caroline turned around and sat down. Her mom would have to come out the door at some point.

Pulling out her phone, Caroline checked for a text from her group and found nothing. Looked like Freya was wrong about what was wrong with Hayley or they had yet to use the antidote. Pocketing her phone, Caroline stared at the night skyline.

As Caroline was contemplating the cosmos, a car pulled up. A familiar car. A car she'd been inside so many times. It parked in the driveway. A woman got out and rounded to the back of the car. Caroline saw and heard the trunk pop open. The woman bent over to get something out while Caroline stood up. Caroline made her way over with caution when the woman let out a quiet sound of frustration. An orange went rolling down the driveway. It would have rolled into the street if not for Caroline darting over to stop its roll.

The woman, who had just lost the orange, dropped the paper sacks in her arms. The sounds of a glass bottle or jar and a carton of eggs shattering made Caroline flinch. "Hi, Mom," Caroline said softly. "I'm home."

Falling back against the trunk, Liz shook her head. "Caroline?"

"Mom. Please, don't be afraid." Caroline took a gingerly step toward her mother and then another. "I'm okay." She watched her mother continue to shake her head until Caroline placed her hands on her mother's shoulders. "See?"

"Caroline…" Liz reached up, her hands cupping Caroline's elbows and she examined Caroline's face as Caroline nodded. "Honey?"

"I'm here. I'm really here. I'm not dead. I'm so sorry, Mommy." Caroline felt unshed tears begin to run down her cheeks as her mother embraced her, holding her tight."

After a long moment, Liz pulled back. Cupping Caroline's face, she spoke softly, "Where have you been?"

"Well, that's a long story," Caroline replied with a quiet laugh.

"Let's go inside and you can tell me all about it," Liz said, directing Caroline toward the door.

"But what about the groceries," Caroline protested, looking at the bags littering their driveway.

"We'll worry about them later. I didn't buy that much anyway. I didn't except to need food for a teenager…" Liz trailed off, her eyes going glassy.

"Hey. Hey. Let's go in. There's so much I need to tell you. So much I couldn't tell you. About me. About my life. I should have. But we still have time." _So much time_, Caroline thought but did not add that. Little steps. Better not to overwhelm her mother with the details right now.

~0~

That night Kol laid in bed beside Bonnie. His body felt tense. He'd been hoping that Bonnie would still be in the celebratory mood. Instead, she seemed to be preoccupied with the appearance of her little friend, Caroline. And his sister, Freya. Kol still did not trust his new-found sister. She'd just appeared. Out of nowhere. Could they truly trust her?

And just the idea of how Freya was sinking her claws into his girl; it drove Kol slightly mad. He hated watching them together. Did Bonnie even realize how she looked at the older witch? With that dawning sense of astonishment. Mentor, Kol's arse. Seductress, more like. Kol would find a way to show the others that Freya could not be trusted.

Turning in his lack-of-sleep, Kol watched Bonnie. She seemed to be sleeping well. He'd like to think it was because Caroline was back. Hayley was on the mend. Or so they hoped. Well, Bonnie, the idiot wolf boy, darling Bekah, and even deluded Elijah were hoping for a recovery of the newbie. Kol could care less. Just another girl who might try to end him if he took a step out of line.

Stroking Bonnie's black locks, Kol pressed his lips to the top of her head. He would kill for her. He would kill because of her. Did she have any idea what she meant to him and what the thought of losing her inspired in him.

Sighing, Kol liked to remember the man he was before he became enchanted with this witch. Wild. Free. What ever happened to that man? No. He had to meet this woman who had become his fatal flaw. She might very well be the death of him.

"Can't sleep?" Bonnie inquired, blinking at Kol. She reached up and stroked his cheek. A sweet smile lit her face. "I think I can help with that." She rolled on top of him and tugged her top off, tossing it on the floor.

Kol felt his mood improving as he sat up, kissing her neck and running his hands over her bare back. His mouth went down and he nibbled at her flesh as Bonnie moaned and her back arched. "You drive me mad," he muttered.

"Do I?" Bonnie giggled as Kol flipped them and tugged the rest of their garments off. She cried out, her eyes widening as he tugged her legs around his waist and then they stopped talking.

It felt like the universe took a time-out as Kol and Bonnie rolled across the bed, her hair falling over the side. "Don't stop!" Bonnie cried out.

"Never," Kol hauled up against the headboard, and pressed his hands over hers, holding her against the wall and they stared into each other's eyes. "Don't ever leave me, Bennett."

"Why would I?" Bonnie looked confused until Kol pressed his lips against her, silencing her as they sunk back down onto the tangled sheets.

~0~

Kol woke up later. Light barely came in from the curtains. He blinked at the clock. It read 6:56 in bright red numbers. His head twisted and he frowned as he caught sight of Bonnie. She stood by her closet, buttoning a top. His first thought was to ask her if she was going somewhere. Then he decided not to.

Closing his eyes, Kol feigned sleep. He heard Bonnie's feet pad over to the bed. Felt her hovering over him before she pressed a sweet kiss to his cheek. Then the sound of her feet padding to the bedroom door. Twist of the knob. His eyes popped open and he watched his girlfriend disappear out the door.

Listening for the footsteps on the stairs, Kol darted off the bed and dressed himself before he sped out of the bedroom and down the stairs. He peered through the curtain in the living room to view Bonnie getting into her car.

After giving her an appropriate head start, Kol left the house and followed the car on foot. He could not exactly expose himself by speeding given the early morning joggers but he knew how to use shortcuts to keep an eye on where Bonnie was heading. If only he were wrong.

When Bonnie stopped outside the house; Kol felt his heart stop beating. He'd been hoping she'd gone to Caroline's, to the school, to Tyler's, anywhere but here.

The door opened and Freya came out. She had the audacity to be dressed up as if this were a bloody date. His eyes went over his sister's dress and her freshly curled hair. The way she smiled at Bonnie. It all made him want to confront them. He wanted to tell his so-called sister he knew she was a liar and a fraud. He would end her.

Instead, Kol kept his distance. He watched Bonnie walk over to greet Freya. Together they went into Kol's own home. The one that Klaus made for their family and Freya closed the door with a wave of her hand. She did not even have a room. Niklaus did not build the house with her in mind. He built it for Klaus, Bekah, Elijah, Kol, and possibly Finn; if they ever made the mistake of letting him out of his coffin. There was no room for Freya.

Kol eased closer to the house. He watched Freya and Bonnie going to the back of the house. He sped around the side and saw them going into a grassy bit. "This is where we'll plant the herbs," Freya was saying. "Niklaus might have something to say, but in time he'll understand that it is for all of us. Every time we are under attack, I will be able to save us from whatever poisons are used against us." His sister explained.

Yes. Protect the family. Kol rather doubted that. With this in mind, he disappeared. He knew the only person he could trust right now was Nik. And he knew how he could make himself most useful to his older brother.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, my lovely readers. I thought I posted this chap before. I do apologize for not noticing, there's been trouble with my e-mail and I haven't been able to check my notifications for chap updates like I usually do. On the bright side the next chap is ready to go. On with the show… **

Chapter 4: The Most Dangerous Lies

Sketches fell into the fire. One by one. Klaus Mikaelson watched their edges be consumed by the hungry flames. He watched his hard work, his obsession, and his love disappear. It did not quench the fire that burned within his mind. Dropping one notebook; he reached for another. Klaus would not stop until he rid himself of every last shred of evidence that he was capable of love. It made him weak. He could not be weak and face the monster who wore his lover's face. Not again.

Klaus' work was interrupted when Kol came strolling into the Great Room. "What do you want?" Klaus demanded, his eyes flashing to his brother. Any other being would note the warning signal, and turn. Not Kol. He'd been born a fool.

"I came for a little chat with my big brother," Kol offered Klaus a big grin. He removed a bottle from a paper bag and then removed the cap which he tossed in the fire before flinging himself onto one of the couches. The liquor sloshed out and onto Kol and the cushions.

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "You're drunk," he noted with an utter lack of feeling. He set aside any human emotion for after killing the demon who had the audacity to refer to itself as Caroline.

Kol nodded. "I am." He seemed proud of himself as he took another swig from the bottle.

Rolling his eyes, Klaus set his sketch pad down. He strode over and took the bottle from Kol. "What is this? Something from the Mystic Grill?" Kol nodded. "Don't tell me, you were celebrating the 'Return of the Slayer,' and decided to take a souvenir." Sneering, Klaus took a gulp of the whiskey before moving to slump into a chair across from his little brother. "Do not celebrate too much, brother, it will be gone soon enough."

The thought made Klaus smile for the first time since he'd set foot in this ghastly, little town, again.

Kol sat up. His eyes began to glow and a wicked smile played at the corners of his lips. Clasping his hands together, he leaned closer to Klaus. "Yes, Nik, that's exactly why I am here. You were right. It is time to end many charades."

"Meaning?" Klaus leaned back in his own seat. He took another swallow of the pungent drink before handing it off to Kol.

"Meaning I will help you end the thing Bonnie believes to be her dear friend…if you will help me with a personal matter." Kol's eyes burned into Klaus.'

"Why would you want to help me?" Klaus demanded, shaking his head. He did not trust that Kol was being a hundred percent honest with him. Kol had not lifted a finger to stop Caroline when she tried to end Klaus. Why would Kol decide to help Klaus clean up Klaus' own mess? Unless it was a means to an end…

Kol rolled his eyes. "I believe you're right. This isn't Caroline. Any more than Freya is REALLY part of our family. She's a stranger who has inserted herself into our lives. She has Rebekah and Elijah wrapped around her little finger. Comes in bossing us all about as if she'd always been part of our family. Appeared at a bloody road-side diner, off a highway? How ludicrous? No Mikaelson would make an entrance with such a lack of eloquence. I help you with faux-Caroline. You help me rid our family of our little intruder."

Now, Klaus knew what was wrong with Kol. Letting out a laugh, Klaus shook his head. "You're bloody jealous of all of the attention Freya is receiving. Oh, Kol, she's simply a shiny new toy for Bekah and Elijah to distract themselves with. In time they will get bored with her presence and treat her like they treat us."

"Us?" Kol's expression darkened and he got to his feet. "Us? Elijah dotes on Rebekah. He obsesses over your every move. And you, you adore Sister, and are all chummy with Elijah, with your scheming, and your planning. There was never room for me."

Klaus watched Kol wave the bottle around before he drained half of it and flung the rest in the fire. For a moment, Kol calmed when the glass bottle exploded and shot sparks all over the wooden floor.

Sighing, Klaus moved to stomp out the burning embers. "Sometimes it is a wonder to me that you didn't get us all killed, centuries ago." Klaus grumbled as he stomped out the last spark.

Kol growled and moved to stand in Klaus' face. "At least I did NOT endanger the whole bloody family with my antics with the Slayer! It was YOU who caused an opening for our parents to return, Niklaus! If you and Caroline weren't busily playing 'Kiss Me or Kill Me;' you might have noticed their returning earlier!"

"Back down, Kol!" Klaus shouted. His hands balled into fists at his sides.

"What shall you do if I do not?" Kol demanded with a little smirk.

Klaus scoffed, turning his back on Kol, and then whirled, his hand swinging around in a wide arc. Kol let out a cry of pain as he went flying across the room.

Shaking off the shock of the first blow; Kol got to his feet. "So, you've decided to turn your back on me, have you?"

"Get out my sight!" Klaus snarled.

Kol shook his head and went racing across the floor. He launched himself off the couch and on top of Klaus. "Admit it, your obsession with the Slayer is why we're in this mess in the first place!" Kol shouted, punching Klaus in the face. "You're weak! You've always been weak, and now you're her little puppet! Hell, once you get over your initial shock of her return, you'll climb right be back into her bed!" Smiling, Kol moved to punch Klaus again.

Reaching up, Klaus' fingers went around Kol's neck and he tossed Kol off. "I have no desire to mate with that thing."

"Caroline!" Kol shouted. He picked up the fire-poker and tossed it at Klaus' head. "Your little girlfriend! Pretty, sharp-tongued fighter of the vampires! And now she's just like us! Only she isn't? Is she? She can't be. And that is your fault! You've ruined the thing you loved the most! Just like you ruin everything around you, Nik! Admit it!"

Klaus let out a roar, and then he took hold of the fire-poker which had embedded itself in the wall behind him. Turning back to face Kol, he sped toward his brother—intent on ramming it through Kol's undead heart—when Kol's last words hit him. "It hurts. It hurts so much you can barely force yourself to keep on moving. You loved. You earnestly loved the girl. That is why you wished to make her one of us. You wanted to be with her until your last day. But that wasn't possible. Now, when you see her, you see your worst nightmare—born into reality—and the only way to make it stop…is to end her. For good this time. Am I right?"

Stopping a half an inch from Kol, Klaus' arm fell. Kol nodded. A rare look of sympathy crossed his features. "It's lonely. Isn't it, Nik?"

"Yes." Klaus nodded. "Yes. It is." For a moment his despair wore through and he allowed Kol to clap a hand over Klaus' shoulder.

"Despair not, brother. We will fix this. Together." Kol's enthusiastic expression gave birth to a dark hope in Klaus, and it made Klaus smirk in return.

~0~

Checking on the young Slayer, Marcel satisfied himself with a glance at Hayley. Her chest moved up and down. She laid on the guest bed and she had curled up on her side. Since she woke from the coma Klaus had put her in, she'd been unusually quiet. "I want to sleep," she'd said before going into the extra bedroom at Marcel's place.

Marcel hadn't allowed the sixteen-year-old to lock the door this time. As much as he knew that teenagers liked privacy, he also did not plan on letting her slip out, and into the night, again. She'd almost died once on his watch. That was his limit.

Glancing at his phone, Marcel knew he had a duty to call into The Hunter's Council. They expected a weekly report of the activities of his charge. To be honest, Marcel decided that sending them a bi-weekly, or even a tri-weekly report, would be enough. His last report had been made the week following Caroline's so-called death. Since then, he'd been avoiding calling in. However, he also knew they would send someone to Mystic Falls if he did not give them intel.

Given recent events: Klaus returning, Caroline returning, and Hayley's nearly being dead; Marcel knew he needed to feed them something.

What Marcel really wanted was a lie, a lie that would placate his bosses, until some version of the truth became warranted.

Picking up his phone, Marcel dialed the number he knew by heart. A mechanical voice answered: "Hello, you have reached Hunter's Industry. Please, state your full name."

"Marcellus Gerard," Marcel said with an eye roll.

"Confirmed. Please, state your code," the machine said.

"Four-eight-zero-one screw this. Get me a person!" Marcel retorted, gripping the phone more tightly. He had an easier time dealing with his phone company.

"I'm sorry. That is incorrect. Please, hold while I find a representative." The machine made a beeping sound that left Marcel holding the phone away from his ear.

After what felt like a century, the cloying elevator music ended, and Marcel sighed as a real, human voice came on the line. "Marcel, we've been waiting to hear from you."

"Cami, how are you doing?" Marcel replied.

"Better." Cami did not sound better. But she must be if they had her answering the phones. Marcel wondered how she would feel if she knew he'd worked with the monster, Elijah Mikaelson, who murdered her twin without blinking in an attempt to escape The Council. Marcel did not feel like finding out.

"I'm calling to make my report," Marcel said.

"Oh. Okay. Let me see if Julian is free." Marcel could hear a chair scrap in the background. He had been hoping to not have to hear that word. Julian. The head of The Hunter's Council was a ruthless, cold-hearted jackass, who Marcel not-so-secretly despised. And Julian did not make hearing reports into a priority. What was so special all of the sudden? Marcel dreaded the answer.

"Marcel. How good of you call us," Julian's voice made Marcel's fingers curl automatically.

Sitting back in his chair, Marcel forced himself to reply, "Hello, Julian. How are things at The Council?"

Julian let out a quiet laugh. "You might know, if you bothered to take the time to make your weekly report."

Rolling his eyes toward the ceiling, Marcel forced himself to not hang up. "I've been a little busy. You know Hayley. She doesn't really follow rules."

"I am well aware," Julian seemed amused. "If you're finding her to be too much, might I suggest sending in another hunter? Perhaps someone with more field experience…"

Now, Julian had Marcel sitting up straighter in his chair. What were the chances that Julian was simply looking for a reason to send in a lackey—with a tendency toward ass-kissing—to keep an eye on current events? Very likely, in Marcel's opinion.

"I'm sorry. Like I said: Hayley doesn't like rules. And she's still raw and new to the slaying. We'll work through the kinks. Just give her a little more time," Marcel hoped that Julian did not translate his words to: Give Marcel more time. That would end with another hunter on the next plane out of New Orleans.

"More time?" Julian paused before adding. "Perhaps. Anyhow, we'll be heading off for the annual trip to London. See how things are faring there. Do be a good, little Hunter, and remember to call in next week, will you?"

Smiling tightly, Marcel replied. "Will do. Bye."

"Good-bye," Julian hung up, and Marcel fell back in his chair, groaning. Nothing could make this day worse.

Apparently he thought too soon because a scratching sound at the window in the living room made Marcel sit bolt-upright. His eyes narrowed as he saw a shadow at the window. His hand went to his crossbow and he moved to stand up.

Before Marcel could make another move, the window opened, and a woman slipped inside. The only hint for Marcel that his intruder was a woman was the long blonde hair. Maybe this was a Vintage Michael Bolton fan.

"Hello, love," Rebekah Mikaelson straightened up and dusted off her jacket. She glanced around the apartment. "Elijah's right. This place is a tad small for a teen and a grown man." She frowned at the living room. "Can't The Council afford something a bit better for its current Slayer, and her little mentor?" The Original vampire pouted at him.

Bristling, Marcel aimed his crossbow at her. "What do you want?"

Rebekah chuckled and made her way over to the couch. She wrinkled her nose at him before taking a seat on the edge. "I'm here to keep an eye on the girl. Same as you. In case Nik feels an urge to finish what he started."

"You're here…to help?" Marcel could not keep the sarcasm from dripping out of his voice. He took a seat on the arm of his lounge chair. "Really?"

"Really." Rebekah's sarcasm rolled off her tongue and she eyed him. "How old are you, anyway? The other one's in his late thirties. You look like a twenty-something. Don't you have a life to attend to?"

"Don't you?" Marcel retorted, laying the crossbow back down, but it was still within reach, in case Rebekah made a move.

Rebekah crossed her legs. "Yes. I do. School. Friends. A boyfriend. Although my boyfriend has been acting a bit odd since Caroline…you know…" She sighed. "However, my priority is my family. And that means making sure Niklaus doesn't do anything he might regret later, like he usually does."

"Regret?" Marcel felt confused. "Why would he regret checking another Slayer off his list?"

"Because, you silly fool," Rebekah let out a light laugh. "Caroline is back." She sent Marcel an expectant look like he must understand what she meant. "Oh, for pity's sake!" Rebekah threw her hands in the air. "I thought this would be obvious: Nik loves Caroline. Caroline is back. Caroline's first duty, as a good little Slayer—or Vampire-Slayer—will be to protect her legacy…"

"Which is?" Marcel felt a little bit stupid right now. But he really had no idea what Rebekah was trying to tell him.

"The Slayers who come after her," Rebekah groaned. "Hayley. Caroline's main objective will be to keep your girl alive for as long as she can. Of course, ALL Slayers have a shelf-life. Except for Caroline. A mystery for another day. In the meantime, Caroline will be obsessed with saving the newbie while Klaus is obsessed with ending them Both. And I'm stuck in the middle, trying to save the two idiots from themselves. Klaus and Caroline. Not Caroline and Hayley."

"Oh." Marcel thought he got Rebekah's twisted logic now. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Are you offering?" Rebekah smirked, cocking her head to the side, and eyeing his neck.

Marcel's hand went to the crossbow. "No!"

"I'm fine then." Rebekah's eyes went to the bedroom door. "I suppose this should be interesting."

"I guess." Marcel wondered how long Rebekah's attention span was, and if she really intended on helping him keep Hayley safe. He supposed he'd find out soon enough.

~0~

Waking up in her own bed; Caroline stretched her arms. She felt pretty good this morning. Everything she'd recently gone through felt like a soon-to-be forgotten nightmare. Just a touch of familiarity—for one night—made her last month fade into the background.

Relaxing in her old bed, Caroline smiled at the ceiling. Maybe she could get her old life back. Without Klaus. And now reality set back in. Just the thought of Klaus Mikaelson set her nerves on edge. He was still out there. She half-expected him to climb through her window and attempt to stake her.

Frowning, Caroline glanced at the window to find that no one stood there. She looked back at the ceiling and tugged her cover under her chin. Who would miss her if she decided to take a day, and stay in bed?

A knock on her door worked as an answer to her un-uttered question. "Caroline?" Liz' voice made Caroline smother a groan. "Are you up, baby?" A pause and then: "I made waffles. There's maple syrup, too."

"I'm coming!" Caroline hopped out of bed and slid her slippers on. Cute, pink bunny slippers. Who would suspect that Caroline harbored such a big secret about what she was when she wandered around in pink bunny slippers?

Padding to the door, Caroline opened it, and then made her way into the living room. "Morning, Mom!" she called brightly. Her mother had taken the whole: "Hey! I'm alive!" thing a lot better than Caroline had expected her to.

"_Caroline, tell me where you've been!" Liz had said, dragging Caroline over to the couch, and forcing Caroline to take a seat across from her. _

_Caroline had wondered where to begin. Nowhere felt like a good beginning. So, she decided to start from the end. _

_Folding her hands in her lap—Caroline put on her best smile—the one that said: "I didn't eat that cookie, Mommy!" _

"_Mom, I died." Caroline watched her mother stare at her. "But death isn't the end. For some people…" _

_Liz continued to stare at Caroline. She did not stir. She did not attempt to argue. Nor did she get up and run. Caroline decided to take that as a small victory before continuing. "You see, all those stories that people tell about vampires…they're real…and I am one…" Caroline inhaled. She waited for her mother to get up and look for a weapon or to begin laughing. _

"_I know, Caroline," Liz said. Her words came out as carefully as Caroline's had. "You've been hanging out with vamps, and never told me?" Her words made Caroline fall back on the couch. _

"_Huh?" Caroline felt confused. "What do you mean YOU know about vampires!" _

_Liz now looked uncomfortable. "I'm going to make a sandwich. Would you like a sandwich? Or tea? Do you still eat?" _

_Caroline watched her mother. She felt the level of shock that she thought her mother should be feeling. But her mother seemed fine. Getting to her feet, she followed her mother to the kitchen. "Mom?" _

"_Yes?" Liz opened the fridge door, and went about pulling out bread, cheese, veggies and lunchmeat. _

"_How do you know about vampires?" Caroline asked, her throat tightening, and her words coming out in a squeak. _

_Shaking her head, Liz let out a quiet laugh. "Oh, Caroline. This is Mystic Falls. Vampires are attracted to this town. They've come and gone, for centuries. Besides they're not the only beings that walk the earth." _

"_Yeah. Witches. Werewolves…" Caroline listed off. _

"_Demons," Liz added. "All real." _

"_Demons?" Caroline's brows went up. "Since when are there demons? Who's a demon?" Her mind wandered to various people who she could believe to be demons. Carol Lockwood. Their local butcher. A couple of girls she knew in elementary…_

"_Caroline, honey, aren't you forgetting something?" Liz asked, waving a knife that she had just used on the mayo. _

_Caroline blinked. "Umm…" _

"_To call your friends. They must be worried sick," Liz said with a quiet laugh. "To think that we all thought you were dead." Chuckling, Liz stopped in her motions before she sent a deadly serious look in Caroline's direction. "You woke up all alone!" Grabbing a towel, Liz wiped her hands and then moved to embrace Caroline. "That must have been horrifying." _

"_Well, yeah…" Caroline tried to smile. _

_Liz pulled back and cupped Caroline's face. "You have always been sooo strong." _

"_I stayed in a motel for the last month because I didn't know how to come home and tell you about what happened. I'm so sorry." Caroline choked on her words. _

"_Oh, baby," Liz pulled Caroline's head down and onto her shoulder. "It's okay. You're okay now. You're home." _

_Caroline settled into her mother's embrace. She never thought her mother would look at her the same way when Liz got the news of Caroline's transformation. This was a bigger shock to Caroline than her ability to turn into a vampire. However, there would be bigger news to come. _

Currently, Liz was plating waffles and placing fresh strawberries on top. "That looks nice. Special day? Huh?" Caroline came over to take a seat at the kitchen table.

"You could say that." Liz went back to the counter and busied herself while Caroline inhaled the smell of freshly-made waffles. Her mother was usually too busy to cook like this. It felt like when she was little and her birthday came around. Or when something bad happened…

Frowning, Caroline looked at the waffles and wondered if they were Special Occasion Waffles or Fluffy, the Cat, Died Waffles. "Mom…what's up?"

Liz opened the fridge. "Milk. Or OJ?"

"Milk. And, please, stop stalling," Caroline called. Was this when Liz decided to tell Caroline that she would prefer that Caroline left the house and never came back.

Pouring a glass of milk, Liz placed the milk back in the fridge before she came to the table. She set the glass in front of Caroline and sat across from her daughter with a look that sent Caroline's heart into over-drive. "Mom?"

Sighing, Liz drummed her fingers on the tabletop. "Do you remember your first night back?"

"Yes." Caroline would never forget how happy she'd been that Liz did not excuse herself to sharpen a stake, or to call a Hunter who Caroline did know how to dispatch Liz' undead off-spring. "What about it?"

"You asked me about demons," Liz continued. She stared at Caroline while Caroline nodded. "You asked me: 'Who was a demon?'"

"Yup," Caroline wondered if she would still want the cooling waffles in front of her when this conversation ended.

"A long time ago, your great-great-great-great grandfather met a woman. She was kind. Smart. Lovely. They fell in love. However, her family did not approve of inter-species mating. His family did not even know that demons existed. They met in secret, until her father caught them one day, and he threatened our ancestor with all types of harm." Liz let out a laugh. "This is ironic because the father's people were not known for their violent tendencies, but you know how people tend to assume that anything they do not understand might be harmful..."

Watching Caroline nod, Liz continued. "Our couple agreed to stop seeing each other. But she was already pregnant. They met. One last time, after she had given birth. The baby looked just like a human. Afraid of what to tell her family, she offered the baby to her lover, and asked that it be taken care of. And over the years none of our ancestors mated with a demon. So, we thought there would be so little demon the likelihood that the demon ancestry would show up at any point would never be a problem… It hasn't been. Until…"

"That's the loophole," Caroline breathed.

"What?" Liz looked confused.

"They thought I couldn't turn!" Caroline cried, jumping to her feet. She let out a laugh, and now her mother looked at her like Caroline might have lost her mind. "They thought I wouldn't come back, because I couldn't. But the rest of the girls must have been regular humans. Not a trace of anything else. But I'm different! I'm a demon! Ha! Klaus was right!"

"Klaus? That man who stopped by, that one time?" Liz shook her head. "Caroline, what does he have to do with this?" Then she looked unhappy. "Is he the vampire who turned you? If he is, you tell him I have some things to tell him. Like he could have waited. You could have gone to college. Yes, this might make late night study sessions easier, but—"

"I was a Vampire Slayer, Mom!" Caroline cried, still laughing. Tears ran down her cheeks as she shook her head in wonder. "I am the first Vampire who is also a Slayer. Who is also a demon? Does that mean I have powers? What are they?"

"Wait!" Liz cried. Now, she looked as shocked as Caroline had expected her to when Caroline announced she was a vampire. "Did you just say you were a Vampire…Slayer?"

"Well, yes. What did you think I was doing all those long nights?" Caroline placed her hands on her hips.

Liz shook her head. "Oh, no. This is not good. At all."

"What do you mean 'It's not good?'" Caroline watched her mother closely. "You were all: 'Yay! You're Alive!" Now you're all: "Boo! You were a Vampire Slayer!"

"Caroline…" Liz's head went up as Caroline shook her head.

"You know what, I am taking my breakfast to-go," Caroline said. She took the plate and the glass and went storming to her bedroom. "Thanks for the food. I have somewhere else to be." She went into her room, sped through the eating process before grabbing her bag, tossing the essentials inside and climbing out her window. If her mom didn't want her around, Caroline knew where she would be wanted, and that's where she intended on being.

**Thank for reading, faving, following and reviewing. :)**

**-J**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, my lovely readers. There might be too many people trying to play hero and no one seems to know what that means anymore. On with the show…**

Chapter 5: The Company We Keep

There were things in the dark. They had fangs and claws. They ripped and shredded. They feasted on the blood of men. They had eyes that were bottomless pits and gateways to hell. Their thirst never ended. Their reign of terror only stopped with a piece of wood through their hearts. A blade arcing toward a neck and a head flying through the air. A man or a boy's body shaking with the intensity of battle. His body marked from the war he fought. It was a just cause. However, he always knew that there would be a price: that price would be his life.

"Jeremy?" Jeremy's eyes popped open and his hand went around his older sister's throat.

Elena's eyes widened as she began to choke. "Jer-Jer-Jerrreeeemmmmyyyyy!" she cried, her nails cutting into his flesh. He barely felt a thing as his eyes narrowed and his breath came out in a soft pant. "Let gooooo!" Elena gagged out. Her human desire to breathe kicking into overdrive and she fell down, forcing Jeremy's body to the floor and on top of hers. Her legs went into his mid-section and she pushed upward. But he would not let go. He could not. This was not his sister. This was one of the monsters from the never-ending-darkness.

"Hey, now! It's not nice to play with girls like that," Damon's voice filled Jeremy with further rage. His eyes ticked up to the male vampire and he saw the knee coming toward his face but did not have time to defend himself.

~0~

"Jeremy?" Elena's voice, again. Her face came into his line of sight and Jeremy inhaled slowly. "Hey." His eyes flicked to the swollen flesh around her neck. What an unattractive necklace. Shaking his head, Jeremy felt shame erupt inside him along with a deep-seated desire to attack her without remorse. The two feelings battled with each other.

"Jeremy?" Damon's voice.

Jeremy turned his head to look at Damon. "Hey there, Buddy. Want to explain to me why you felt it necessary to attack your sister like that?" Damon demanded, his hands hanging in front of his knees. His posture spoke of a creature who did not fear the human before him but Jeremy could sense the vampire's willingness to tear the human's throat out; if need be.

"You chained me up?" Jeremy glanced down at the chains. The instant he woke he'd felt the heaviness of his limbs. His ankles locked between wood and metal. The shackles chaffed at his skin through his PJ pants and his bare wrists gave a slight jerk, and a rattle of the chains answered.

Damon nodded. "Well, yeah. That is what we do when we try to kill our friends and family. Isn't it?" He glanced at Elena, his eyes wide and a little humorless smile played on his lips. "Ask Stef sometime about how many times we've played this little game. I like to call it: Dry Out Time. But you're not a vamp. Are you, Jer? So, you're not high on bloodlust. Or maybe you are? What have you become?"

"Damon!" Elena's voice came out as sharp as a butcher knife and her look meant to cut through whatever thoughts Damon was working through. "He's not the enemy."

"Huh." Damon stood up. "Seems to be he tried to kill you. Or was that just some good, old-fashioned sibling rivalry?" His blue eyes met Jeremy's and Jeremy just stared back. "Seems like your little friends say Jer's having some aggression issues. Tried to attack Caroline. Won't talk to Bekah. Who do you plan on going after next, Jer, the mail man?"

Elena let out a quiet scoff. "Alaric is working on figuring out whatever is going on here."

"Fine. Then Jer can go live with Ric. As long as Bon Bon can find a nice little 'Keep out the Hunter' spell so we don't wake up on fire." Damon snapped, glaring at Elena.

Jeremy shook his head. "I don't care about the two of you."

Both vampires heads whipped around to take him in. "What?" Elena cried. "What does that mean, Jeremy?"

When Jeremy refused to answer, Damon darted over and took hold of Jeremy's chin, forcing Jeremy to look Damon in the eye. "What does that mean Buff, the Boy Slayer?"

Jeremy chuckled. "I don't have to tell you anything."

"Great. I think he's lost his freakin' mind." Damon let out a groan of disgust.

There was a knock on the door and Elena went to answer it. "Come in," she said.

Alaric Saltzman came in with his girlfriend, the doctor lady. "Hey. Hear there's been a problem this morning."

Jo moved to check Elena's neck. "I'm fine," Elena tried to say.

"Go. Sit. I'll be the judge of that." Jo ordered Elena who went to sit on the couch like a good little patient. Her eyes went to Jeremy. Jeremy just stared back at his sister. He wished he did not feel this overwhelming desire to drive a stake through her heart. He hadn't felt this way last night.

While Jeremy had wanted to stake Caroline the moment he saw her walking around as some kind of a nightmare version of the Slayer, his feelings of aggression toward his sister built over time. He'd been able to say "Pass the potatoes" last night without adding, "you undead bitch." Right now, he just wanted to rip her heart out.

"Hey, Jeremy," Alaric moved in front of Jeremy. "How ya feeling, buddy?"

"Like I want to kill them," Jeremy replied.

"Yeah?" Alaric glanced at Damon and Elena.

"He was fine last night." Elena said as Jo examined her neck. "It'll heal," she muttered to the doc. "I just need to wear a scarf for a day or two."

"Just like your last meal," Jeremy quipped with an eye roll.

Damon shook his head. "Everyone said letting a teenager live with us was a mistake. Did I listen? No. Anti-social loner seems like an ideal person to live under my roof with occasional homicidal tendencies."

"Speak for yourself, Damon. How many people have you sunk your fangs into and ended without a shred of guilt?" Jeremy demanded, he jerked at his chains. "How many men, women and children have you feasted on? How many? Tens? Hundreds? Thousands? You act like we could be friends? Family? Until you feel the urge. Then 'Oops. It's dinner time.'" Jeremy continued to jerk at his chains. He pushed up with both his feet and knocked the chair backward.

Feeling the chair break, Jeremy let out a laugh as he found his legs and arms were free enough to fight. "But I'm not going on your list of snacks, buddy." Jerking one of the pieces of wood from the broken chair, Jeremy twirled it before he tossed it at Damon's heart.

Damon's eyes widened as the piece of wood went into his shoulder. "Ouch. Missed!" he grunted as he pulled the wood back out.

Growling, Jeremy knelt down and gathered a number of pieces of wood and began to toss them at anything that moved. Alaric knocked Jo out of the way and Elena dropped to the floor.

Feeling disgusted, Jeremy ran toward the window and flung himself through it. He felt little pieces of glass embed themselves in his body but he was free. That was what mattered. He had a mission. Those who had come before him told him what he must do. He could not allow the mission to be compromised. Caroline must die.

~0~

"Could you calm down? Just a little bit?" Tyler cried.

Hayley inhaled and shook her head. "Can't," she replied in between punches to the protective pads Tyler wore over his hands. "Got. To. Be. Prepared." Sweat pooled along her hairline and she could feel how wet the back of her shirt was becoming. She'd been training with Tyler for the past two hours without so much as a five minute break. Tyler might need one. Hayley did not. What Hayley needed was revenge.

With that thought in mind, Hayley whirled in a circle, her leg coming out to slam into Tyler's unprotected side in a roundhouse kick. Letting out a cry of shock and pain, Tyler fell back on the library floor, "Damn it, Hayley!" he cried, his padded hand going to his side.

"Sorry," Hayley muttered. She was bouncing up and down on the soles of her feet. She felt a pinch of guilt but her overwhelming desire to find and end Klaus Mikaelson drove her. He'd almost killed her. Poison. That would not have been a death worthy of a Slayer. If Hayley were to die, she wanted to die getting the shit kicked out of her.

"What in the world?" Rebekah Mikaelson came strolling in and tutted at Tyler. "Trying to train the Slayer Junior, Lassie?" she inquired with a cruel smile. "Whoever sent a dog to do a vampire's job I do wonder what they could be thinking." Her eyes went to Hayley. "Hello, love."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Hayley demanded.

"Your little mentor had to type a report for his boss. Or Skype with him?" Rebekah pursed her lips and then shook her head. It was clear she was not invested in the subject. "Anyhow, I thought I'd stop by and see how things are progressing here. Seems I came in good time before you sent Tyler to the doghouse in the sky."

"Enough with the dog jokes," Tyler snapped, pushing himself to his feet. "Don't you have a boyfriend who wants to kill you to help track down?"

Rebekah's look hardened and Hayley moved between the two. "Alaric's on that. Said I would be…what was the phrase…oh, yes: 'In the way.'" Again, Rebekah did not look pleased. Not that Hayley believed she'd seen what a pleased Rebekah Mikaelson looked like nor did she care to.

"You could go hang with your new vamp buddy: Caroline," Hayley suggested. "You can paint each other's nails or something."

"You don't like me. Do you?" Rebekah moved closer to Hayley.

Hayley refused to show that Rebekah's advance made her nervous. She didn't feel that way before her fight with Klaus. Just the thought made Hayley's chin stick out. He'd taken her fire. She wanted it back. Maybe training with Caroline would help. But Hayley felt a prickle of fear when she thought of Caroline.

Everything that Hayley had been taught in the Hunter's Council confines told her that a Vampire Slayer could never become a Vampire. It was against all things in nature. Whatever the creation would be would be an abomination. When Hayley had seen Caroline in the graveyard, she'd thought that Klaus had given her a concussion and she was having a hallucination. Upon waking, Hayley found that Caroline was really and truly a vampire. How. No one seemed to know. Yet. It was Hayley's job to find out. And to end her predecessor.

"Why don't you just go? I've got my wind. Come on, Hales. Round ten," Tyler said. He held up his padded fists but his elbow went over his injured side.

Rolling her eyes toward Tyler, Rebekah's expression became amused and her eyes lit up with something close to genuine amusement. "Come now, Hayley. You must be looking for a worthier partner?"

"You offering?' Hayley asked. Her hands clenched into balled fists and she moved closer to The Original Vampire.

"Not me." Rebekah shook her head. A smile appeared on her face as she folded her arms over her chest. "Him."

Hayley frowned. Looking toward the doorway, she found a be-suited vampire coming through the door. She thought he looked familiar. The man who'd hovered over her upon waking. "Who the hell are you?"

"Elijah Mikaelson, at you service, Miss Marshall." Elijah's lips turned upward in a crooked smile.

Sighing, Hayley recalled the vampire she'd saved because Caroline—human, Vampire Slayer Caroline—had asked her to. They'd been in the midst of the fight with the Original Mama and Papa. Hayley's instinct had been to let the vampire die. Isn't that what she was born to do? End them all. But Caroline asked her to help this one—for some reason—and Hayley had complied. She hoped she did not live to regret her decision.

"Elijah? Huh?" Hayley looked him over. "Are you like Klaus? Some kind of vampire—werewolf hybrid?"

"No. There is only one," Elijah said as he unbuttoned his jacket. He folded it and laid it on one of the tables. "There is also only one of me."

"You think you're special?" Hayley inquired. It made her smirk as she watched him move across from her.

Rebekah walked over to the counter and hopped up. "Tyler," she called, waving for him to join her. "Don't want to damage you anymore, now do we?"

"What do you care?" Tyler snapped.

"I don't. But you might be useful as a shield one day." Rebekah pushed Tyler into the counter and he groaned. "Perhaps not."

Hayley's attention zeroed in on Elijah as he rolled his sleeves up. "You don't have a problem with getting your ass whooped by a girl? What will your fan-base think?" She felt good mocking this creature who had more than a thousand years on her. Rolling her shoulders, she fell into the stance she'd been practicing since she was ten.

"No." Elijah's smile fueled Hayley's desire to kick his ass. His fingers waved her forward and she threw herself into the fight with relish.

Hayley's fists went back and forth as Elijah blocked each blow. The more blows he blocked, the more she expected one of his hands to come flying her way or a leg to come up to connect with some part of her body.

"Hit me!" Hayley snarled. She felt annoyed that Elijah was simply defending himself. "I'll heal!"

Elijah shook his head. "You might heal. In a week," he retorted.

"Ahhhh!" Hayley felt fury course through her and she threw herself into the air, her whole body aimed at Elijah. She expected him to whirl out of the way or to toss her aside. Instead, his arms came around her, holding her arms at her sides while she kicked him in the shins until his legs caved and they went falling on top of one of the tables.

Hayley head-butted Elijah and freed one of her arms to throw a punch into his ribs. Nothing. It felt like hitting a brick wall and she screamed in pain, almost certain she'd fractured her wrist. But she couldn't stop. She still felt so angry. Falling on top of another table, she pushed herself to her knees with her good wrist and then stood up.

"Enough!" Elijah said. He stood on top of the table across from her.

"No!" Hayley shouted. She ran across her table and flew through the air. This time when they landed on top of a table, it groaned and then the legs went out from under it. "No! No! No!" Hayley screamed, pummeling Elijah with both fists until her right wrist made a terrible cracking sound like the table and she fell onto the floor, crying and holding it to her chest.

"You've experienced your first, real trauma." Elijah said. Hayley found him in front of her. He knelt on one knee. His hand on her shoulder. "You will heal. We will train. You will be stronger."

Blinking back furious tears, Hayley opened her mouth to find Elijah was gone.

~0~

Practicing a winning smile in the mirror; Caroline Forbes felt like a fraud. She'd agreed with her mother that it would be the best thing for everyone if she returned to Mystic Falls High. Of course there would be people who would be freaked. Who wouldn't be freaked if you'd just gone to a classmate's funeral and a couple of months later they come strolling down the hallway like nothing happened.

This is why Caroline was practicing her smile. She never spent that much time being incredibly social in her human life. Well, that wasn't true. She liked hanging out with her little group of friends and had once dreamed of being a cheerleader and Miss Mystic Falls, but somewhere along the line it felt like fate had a different plan for her. And as it turned out…

Sighing, Caroline pulled her hair into a high ponytail and lifted her chin. "Watch out world; it's my time to shine." It sounded like a positive motto, or read under the wrong circumstances, something someone with a desire for world-domination would say.

"Enough stalling. Let's go," Caroline coached herself. She grabbed her bag and left her room. She felt like a nice walk would help clear her head.

Opening the front door, Caroline only paused to lock it before she turned and let out a scream. "Stefan! What are you doing!" she shouted, slapping his chest and glaring at her friend.

"Jeremy's still on the loose. Damon ran into your mom and heard you're going back to school today. I thought I'd walk you," Stefan said, shoving his hands in his pockets and he tried to look casual.

Caroline tossed her keys into her purse. Like she wanted to get into why she and Stefan hanging out might be awkward. They'd never really talked after he told her he "loved her." Of course everyone knew that Caroline loved Klaus. She couldn't say the feeling was mutual, at the moment. However, hanging out with Stefan might be a little weird. Or maybe Caroline was making it weird. She was nearly a legal adult. Time to act like one.

"Alright. If Jeremy comes at me, I'll just wait for him to attack us. When he does, I'll toss you in a bush, fight him off and collect you before the bell for first period rings. Deal?" Caroline watched Stefan shake his head.

"I missed you, Care," Stefan said.

"Me, too," Caroline bumped into his shoulder as they walked down the sidewalk. She might be a newly minted member of #Team Vampire but that did not mean she had to lose her sense of humor.

"You heard anything from Klaus?" Stefan just had to say it.

Caroline blew out a breath. "You mean since he tried to kill me…again?" She tried to breathe humor into the moment but Stefan had put on his broody cap and refused to take it off.

"Nope," Caroline sighed. "Seems he's determined to know what I am before I get a chance to figure it out."

"I could help." Stefan ducked his head and peered at her. "With the figuring out what you are part."

"Oh? Yeah?" Caroline let out a nervous giggle. "Sure. Why not?" She could think of a billion reasons why not. Let's start with her being a demon. Did Stefan know any other demons? Did they attend a meeting? Was there a calendar? A scented candle? A Secret Santa? Did they believe in Santa? Too many questions. Caroline just wanted to get back to high school.

~0~

Stepping inside her high school, Caroline tried out her winning smile on one of the freshman who smiled back and plowed into a senior who turned to glare. However, it took two seconds for the senior to catch sight of Caroline and to then do a double-take.

Caroline watched as the senior turned to another student. Lips moving close to an ear, the senior whispered. "Holy shit. It's the dead chick." Soon the same whisper traveled from ear-to-ear until all Caroline heard was "She's alive" and "the dead chick."

"Looks like news is traveling fast," Stefan whispered under his breath.

"You think," Caroline whispered back. She continued to smile although it was beginning to feel frozen as she made her way down the hallway and toward her locker. She felt relieved when she caught sight of familiar faces.

"Caroline, back so soon," Kol mocked her. His arms were wrapped around Bonnie's waist, his chin rested on Bonnie's shoulder and for some reason that Caroline could not put a name to, she felt like Kol's look was…predatory.

"I am." Caroline nodded and she turned her attention to her locker. Opening it, she frowned. A poster for a recent zombie movie hung inside.

"Real funny, guys!" Bonnie called. She looked around, shooting death rays in every direction.

"Bon, its fine. They're just a little freaked. And they should be." Caroline muttered the last part to the confines of her locker.

"Elena," Bonnie called.

Head popping around her locker door, Caroline took in the sight of a weary-looking Elena Gilbert. "Hi, everyone," Elena's fake smile made Caroline feel proud of her own. No one would really believe that expression.

"Hey, Lena," Tyler called, coming to join them.

"Hey," Elena said. "Where's…you-know-who?"

"Who's you-know-who?" Caroline inquired, remembering she did not have books for class in her locker and closed the door. Her eyes traveled around the group.

"Oh. Uh… You know…" Tyler looked at his feet.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "No. I don't. Otherwise I wouldn't be asking."

"New girl!" a senior cried out. "Nice napkin. Can I use it during lunch?"

"You know what? Grabbing a girl's ass without saying 'Please' first is a big mistake," Hayley's voice filled Caroline's ears followed by the sound of someone crying out in pain.

Sighing, Caroline marched down the hallway, pushing people out of the way until she found Hayley smirking down at the school's linebacker—a boy twice her size—whose arm was currently hanging above his head. Five seconds from now, it would break. Twenty seconds later, it would snap out of its socket.

"Hayley, play nice with the jackass," Caroline said. "And Reggie, I thought we talked about your manners last year."

Reggie glanced up at Caroline. Horror dawned in his eyes. "You're dead."

Caroline nodded. "Technically speaking: Yes, I am. Now, go away before I eat your brains!" Folding her arms, she glared at Hayley until Hayley let go of her new toy with a groan. "Tell your friends!" Caroline called as Reggie ran away, cradling his arm. "You. Me. Library. Now!" Caroline snapped. She took Hayley by the elbow before Hayley could protest.

"You're not my mom. Hell, you're never going to be anyone's mom," Hayley snarled as Caroline shoved her through the doors.

A group of students looked up from a table where books were lying in front of them and notebooks were full of scribbled notes. Caroline frowned. "Seriously! What does this look like, a library!" she demanded.

The students scrambled to gather their things while they muttered "dead girl' and then fled the room.

"Cute nickname," Hayley said, turning to face Caroline with a sneer. "Think it will stick?"

"You want to stay alive?" Caroline snarled out.

"Are you threatening me?" Hayley retorted, puffing her chest out and moving close to Caroline's face.

"Not today," Caroline retorted. She moved to lean against the counter. "You need to understand that you're not invincible. Your role here, it means more than pushing your weight around. It might feel good to bully the bullies but do you want to be one?"

Hayley shrugged. "Sorry, Barbie. Where I grew up, you show weakness you're screwed and I am not weak. I learned how to fight back young. And no one's putting a muzzle on me, let alone whatever it is that you are." Hayley shook her head at Caroline.

"So, what? You plan on going out and facing all the Big Bads and becoming the Big Dead?" Caroline snapped, losing her temper quickly.

"I've got help." Hayley nodded to their left.

Caroline looked at Tyler. Tyler shrugged. "You've got a wolf. What else do you have?"

"Bonnie can help. If she wants," Hayley said, glancing at Bonnie. "Or I can put out an ad on Craig's List. Wanted: Experienced. None-psychotic witch. Must love dogs and have flexible hours."

Rolling her eyes, Caroline shook her head. "And you think that's all you need to stop Klaus from ending you?"

Hayley nodded. "Seems like a lot. What else could I need?"

"Me." Caroline watched Hayley frown. Yup. This would be one of those fights. Good thing Caroline intended on winning.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello, my lovely readers. We're finally getting some Klaroline of a sort in this chap… On with the show…**

Chapter 6: So That's Where You Were Lurking This Whole Time

Trying to return to your old life was not easy. Her first day back at school had been a real bitch. Hayley was an even bigger bitch. Caroline wondered if she had given Alaric a tenth of the hell that Hayley seemed determined to give her and Marcel. And then their trying to get back into the swing of "To Slay, or Not to Slay." Caroline felt that as a Vampire-Slayer/Recently-Turned-Vampire-Who-Had-Just-Found-Out-She-Was-A-Demon. This ended in Caroline hanging out in the local cemetery while swinging a stake and whistling songs from the previous decade to herself.

"Come on, new vampires! Don't you want me to slay you?" Caroline called out. She swayed back and forth as she ran a finger up and down her neck. She'd seen a girl do that in a TV show once to taunt her enemy/love interest and it seemed like a good way to attract vampires.

"Do you really think that works?" Kol Mikaelson called.

Whirling on her heel, Caroline narrowed her eyes at Kol. "Why are you lurking? Shouldn't you be on a date with Bon? She says you don't go out much anymore."

Kol smirked back at Caroline. "Actually my dear sister, Freya and Bonnie are doing spells together. Therefore I have nothing to do. I happened to be looking for something to eat." He flashed his fangs at Caroline in a toothy smile.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Come on, Kol. I have work to do." She turned and her shoulders slumped as she noted the total lack of vamp activity.

"Perhaps they're just shy." Kol came to stand beside Caroline. "Or no one is feeling the urge to rise tonight." His eyes went over the graves.

"You mean no one has been turned lately?" Caroline glanced at Kol. "Do you know something I don't?"

Shaking his head, Kol moved to hop on top of a grave-marker. "Yes. I do a bit of on-line blogging and give tips on how to avoid detection by newbie slayers, such as young Hayley." His eyes were alight with amusement and Caroline wanted to stake him.

"Thanks for the help, jackass." Caroline turned her back on Kol and she continued through the graveyard. She didn't really know why Kol was hanging around. He hadn't exactly been showing what great friends they were since she'd come back and she'd been having a feeling.

Suddenly whirling around, Caroline cocked her head to the side. "Kol, what are so worried about?" She edged toward him as Kol's face twisted. His natural cocky expression had dissolved into a blank expression. "Spit it out."

Kol's eyes narrowed and his posture stiffened. "I'm not worried about anything."

"Oh, yes, you are. It's coming off you in waves. You're afraid. Some part of you is terrified of losing something precious to you." Caroline stopped inches from Kol.

Just for a second, Caroline saw Kol's eyes cloud over with mistrust. Then he let out a quiet laugh. "Ah, you believe that your new vampirism makes you more aware of what people feel. That's interesting." His lips turned up into a smirk. "That should make your life with your little human friends such a disaster. I can't wait to see the fall-out." Clapping his hands together. "Shall you try on young Tyler? Please. Tell me I might come with you."

Sighing, Caroline rolled her eyes. "And here I was hoping we could bond. But I can tell you're not in the mood. Why don't you go to the hospital and steal some blood bags?"

Pushing himself off the gravestone, Kol smirked. "I'll pick you up a few; if you'd like."

Freezing, Caroline inhaled. She hadn't really put too much thought into how she would feed since she'd returned home. Damon had given her some blood bags. He said she would be fine. For now. But he didn't seem to think about the cravings she found herself at the mercy of in a crowd of her fellow students. Having her friends close by helped, of course. However, their presence only made her suppress her new instinct. At some point, she would lose control.

"Caroline?" Kol's voice made Caroline blink at him.

"Yeah. Sure. Thank you." Caroline forced a quick smile. She thought she saw another glint in Kol's eye but it quickly disappeared. And then he was gone, disappearing into the darkness that surrounded them.

Gritting her teeth, Caroline decided to open her book bag and try working on her lit assignment: read a hundred pages of _Jane_ _Eyre_. Ugh! Why couldn't they read anything current? Caroline would even read _Twilight_ at this point.

"You look bored," a voice close by said.

Caroline looked up to see Hayley leaned over the gravestone Caroline had decided to lean against. "Ew! What's that?" She took hold of Caroline's book and snapped a piece of gum. "What are you reading this garbage for?" she exclaimed, waving the book in the air.

"It's for my class. Don't you have homework?" Caroline retorted. She pushed herself to her feet and reached for the book when Hayley flung it into a tree and grinned. "Thank you for that."

"Too bad Ty isn't here. We could make him play fetch. And if we were good, we could give him a Milk Bone." Hayley said, placing her hands on her hips and glancing around. "Is it me, or is this place dead?"

"Kol said there weren't any vamps rising tonight," Caroline said with a shrug. She supposed she had two choices: Go climb a tree and get her book, or Spark Note the heck out of _Jane_ _Eyre_. She preferred the latter idea and picked up her bag. "I'm going to head home. You want me to walk you?"

Hayley rolled her eyes. "Yes. I want you to have your charitable Big Sister moment, Care. And tomorrow you can take me out for an ice cream cone and teach me about the birds and the bees." Smirking, Hayley walked away from Caroline.

"Where are you going?" Caroline demanded, feeling annoyed—yet again—by the newbie.

"Gonna slay some vamps." Hayley began to run and leapt over a gravestone.

"I told you: There are no vamps out tonight!" Caroline called back. She felt like fighting Hayley. However, she knew that it would not be a fair fight. She would easily overcome the girl in her weakened state. And if Caroline got a whiff of Hayley's blood, again, she might bite the girl. She might not be able to stop herself.

Hayley spun on her heel and gave Caroline a long look. "Are you serious right now? You listened to a vamp? A vamp told you that other vamps would not rise tonight?" Letting out a laugh that made Caroline's nerves fry, Hayley crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm kinda sad for you."

"Oh, shut up, Hayley," Caroline snarled.

Hayley continued to laugh until a hand shot out of a grave and curled up her ankle. "See! Vampire!" she snarled. Reaching down, she jerked the vampire to its feet. "Hi!" she greeted the vamp.

"Hello," the vampire's voice sounded friendly and Caroline felt a little bit bad about what she thought was about to happen.

"My friend and I are headed to a party. Wanna come?" Hayley inquired, grinning at the new vamp. She craned her neck to look at Caroline.

Stifling a sigh, Caroline waited. The vamp shrugged. "Sure. Why not. I don't have anything planned for tonight." He looked back at Caroline. Wow. He must be a year or two behind Caroline at the high school.

"Great." Hayley moved to join Caroline when the vamp titled his head to the side and his fangs came out.

Hand going out, the vamp reached for Hayley when Caroline shook her head. Of course this had to turn out just like she expected it to. Racing forward, she jerked her stake out and plunged the stake into the poor kid who would never make graduation.

"Huh? And see, I thought I'd made a new friend." Hayley stared at the dead vamp before shrugging.

"Think again, little girl." A voice came from behind them and Caroline intended on turning her head to look at the speaker but a pair of thick arms wrapped around her middle, encircling her waist and pinning her arms to her sides.

"Heard there's a Slayer wants to be killed." A guy with a mohawk grinned at them from Hayley's left as a girl with fuchsia hair made her way to Hayley's right.

That would have been fine. Three against two. No biggie. But then Caroline noted more and more vamps coming toward them. Twenty. Thirty. This would much easier if they were newbie vamps who didn't learn how to fight. Or if Bonnie. Freya. hell, even Tyler had come with them. Caroline wouldn't like it if Ric were here though. Or Jo. Damon would be a big help. Stefan. Maybe Elena. Probably not. Too green at the fighting thing.

"So, where you guys from? You don't seem local," Caroline decided to use a distraction technique.

Mohawk jumped in. "We were passing through Richmond when we heard about the new Slayer nearly biting it in the first six months. Sucks to be you," he grinned, taking hold of Hayley by the shoulders.

Hayley elbowed Mohawk in the ribs before whirling and slamming the flat of her hand into his nose. "Not dying tonight, asshat."

"I like her. Let's keep her for a pet," Fuchsia said, licking her fangs. "Oh, honey, the things I'm going to do to you."

"Little problem." Caroline said, stomping on the foot of the idiot who held her. "She's not the Real Slayer. I am. Caroline Forbes. Got an upgrade. Now, I'm a bit more toothy, makes going to the dentist a real bitch." Showing her fangs to the other vamps, Caroline felt a thrill as they looked at each other.

"You're dead," Mohawk said, rubbing his eye.

"You've heard of me? How sweet. Let's party!" Caroline snarled before launching herself at Fuchsia.

~0~

There was nothing more annoying than minions who could not perform a simple task. Klaus Mikaelson wondered why he'd bothered turning that biker gang of ill-witted, ne'er-do-wells when they could not send a message to his lover. It had been simple: You're mine. Two words. And some bloodshed. He'd ordered them to not attempt to kill either Caroline or the new Slayer who he already detested. No. Klaus would kill the new girl in front of the thing that Caroline had become. Then he would end the monster who was not Caroline.

Now, he watched Caroline and Hayley bounce out of the graveyard. They had even linked arms and he wanted to attack them both right now. However, he'd had a thousand years to learn things such as restraint. It would not do to attack them now.

"What do ya want to do now?" Caroline said.

"Party. Duh!" Hayley said.

"There are no parties tonight." Caroline retorted.

Hayley pulled away and shook her head. "Are you serious? Wherever we are, a party will follow." She marched forward. So full of life and cockiness. Klaus looked forward to watching the light go out of her eyes.

Shaking her head, Caroline let out a quiet laugh. She began to follow Hayley when her posture suddenly changed and her head whirled. Her eyes narrowed as she peered at the nearby rooftops.

By the time Caroline's eyes rested on the place Klaus had been, he'd dropped to the ground and stalked down the street. Soon.

~0~

"How's your night going?" the wolf boy asked.

Caroline tipped her head to the side. "Same old, same old. Got attacked by some vamps. Kicked some ass." She shrugged. "Nothing interesting."

Klaus watched through the trees as Caroline took a sip of beer. She looked bored. Rebekah had shown up for the party and either she did not know that Klaus was there or she was ignoring him in favor of flirting with the new Slayer's little mentor. He looked like a child to Klaus. Someone to easily pick off to send a message to the lot of them.

Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert sat on top of a tree stump. Elena leaned her head against Damon's shoulder. Elena could never be useful to Klaus since she'd turned. What a pity. Killing her would also send a message.

Stefan Salvatore sat a few feet from the new Slayer. She twisted and swayed to music that made Klaus roll his eyes. Stefan did not even seem the slightest bit intrigued. His sights were still on Caroline. How could he not see that all that was left of her was a monster? Delusion and not worth the kill.

Kol continued to check his watch until Bonnie Bennett appeared. And she was not alone. "Sorry, guys. We got carried away with the new spell." Bonnie glanced back at Freya. Cocking his head to the side, Klaus smirked at the softening expressions traded between the two witches.

Kol broke a branch and tossed it. It nearly went into Damon's chest. "Hey, buddy, watch it!" Damon shouted.

"Why don't you go chase a human!" Kol snarled, moving to his feet.

"Not now!" Elena snapped, grabbing Damon by the collar as he stood up and made a move toward Kol.

"Kol, no!" Bonnie held up a hand and Kol fell to his knees. He grasped his head between his hands and cried out in pain.

Freya looked unhappy and Klaus did not really care. He would deal with her soon enough.

"This is NOT party!" Tyler called to Hayley. "I thought you said we were going to party tonight."

"Party's coming!" Hayley called out as humans began to come toward them. They moved through the trees toward the little group of super naturals. So utterly unaware of the danger that the new human had brought them into.

Grinning, Hayley wiggled a finger at the human male who looked like his main objective in life was to become a hulking mass of flesh who never worried over his intellectual achievements. "Wanna dance, big boy?" Hayley asked, turning and shaking her hips at him.

"Duh," the idiot said, looping his arms around the girl who had no idea that she might as well drink, eat, and be merry, for tomorrow Klaus would kill her.

Another human male made his way over to Caroline. "Hi, Caroline. You want to dance?" he asked.

Caroline glanced at Tyler. "Not really in the dancing mood. Sorry."

The male's shoulders slumped and he moved away until Hayley ensnared him, pulling him into her little group of dancers.

Rebekah leaned closer to Marcel. "Perhaps you should watch her more closely."

"She's free to do what she pleases. As long as she doesn't try to bring any of them home with us." Marcel folded his arms over his chest.

Becoming bored, Klaus moved to leave. Turning on his heel, he found a little human female had strayed from the pack. "You look lonely. The party's over there. Unless you wanted to party somewhere more private." She grinned at Klaus.

Smirking back at the female, Klaus nodded. "I would like to party tonight. Why don't we take a little walk?" He held out a hand and the girl took it.

~0~

With a groan, Klaus dropped his new little friend to the ground. He'd sated his thirst for blood, for now, but not his desire to burn the party to the ground. "Ah, there you are, brother."

Klaus rolled his eyes and turned to find Kol. Kol held a cup of beer in one hand and leaned against a tree. "Kol, what do you want?"

"Nothing. I just had this sense that something dark and foreboding was in the woods with us. Then I spotted you. Made sense." Kol took a long sip of his beer.

"Enjoying watching your little girlfriend drape herself over our new sister?" Klaus inquired, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Kol's eyes narrowed. "As much as you must enjoy stalking your lover."

Growling, Klaus felt his fangs spring out. "Kol, I am warning you. Do not test my patience tonight."

"Or what? You'll stick me in a coffin?" Kol demanded. He pushed off the tree. "Perhaps I should allow Caroline to drive a stake through your cold, un-beating heart."

Letting out a chuckle, Klaus shrugged. "Then who will help you end this thing developing between your beloved and our so-called sister?"

Kol stalked over to Klaus. "You think you know so much. Don't you, Niklaus?" Pointing a finger at Klaus, Kol shook his head. "There are things about this world that even the Great Niklaus Mikaelson is blind to."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Klaus retorted. He felt annoyed with Kol's riddle. "Do not attempt to be cleaver with me, little brother, we both know it's not your strong suit." He watched Kol's eyes darken.

"There is more to Caroline than you think, brother." Kol shot back.

Frowning, Klaus moved closer to Kol. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Kol smirked back at Klaus. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Letting out a hiss, Klaus took hold of Kol's collar and shook him. "Tell me what you know!" he cried out.

"Nothing. Yet." Kol replied.

Shaking his head, Klaus let go of Kol. "You are a fool, Kol."

"Not in this matter." Kol finished his beer. He cupped a hand to his ear. "I believe I heard my girl calling me back. We'll talk again, soon." He turned and made his way back to the party while Klaus simmered. How the bloody hell could Kol know anything about Caroline that Klaus did not?

Of course, Klaus could no longer pop in and out of Caroline's mind like he used to be able to. Since she'd turned, her subconscious had been locked. Try as he might, Klaus had not been given access to the thing she'd become. He would learn her secrets and find a way to end their story, for once and for all.

**Three Months Ago:**

Damon Salvatore sat on a couch in the great room. A tumbler was clutched in his hand. His expression was sober. With his free hand, he jerked the tie he'd worn to his friend, Caroline Forbes,' funeral. The shock of her death still rang at the level so deep for him that he'd refused to go with Elena and Stefan to Liz Forbes' home.

At the Forbes residence there would be tears and stories shared about their friend and Liz' only child. Some of them would be true. Some of them would be based on lies the group had made up to prevent the truth of Caroline's life to become apparent to her mother.

It would be better that Liz thought Caroline's death was a horrible accident. Everyone agreed on that fact. Even Damon.

But to sit through the "Blah-blah-blah. We'll miss her so-s." That was far more than Damon could take tonight. He'd rather sit at home and drink himself stupid before passing out on the floor and waking up after Elena pulled the curtains open and Stefan took his daylight ring. Yup. That was the life.

Speaking of life, Caroline didn't have any more life to live. Stupid Klaus. Stupid, Stupid Klaus and his stupid, stupid family. Damon wished they'd never come to Mystic Falls. Hell, Damon wished he'd never come back to Mystic Falls.

Rolling his eyes toward the ceiling, Damon knew he needed to get the hell out of here. Too many memories. He could see Caroline sitting on this couch, just to the left of him. Her head was tilted back as she laughed at a joke that Alaric told them. She sat in the chair across from Damon, discussing with Stefan a new strategy on how to help vamps who didn't want to kill get better. Damon had laughed himself off the couch about that one.

Yup. Damon needed to get the hell out of here. Maybe he'd write a quick note and tell Lena he loved her and Stef that he just needed to be gone for a month, or two, or a year. He'd be back. Damon always came home.

Trudging across the room, Damon collected his decanter and made his way to the door. Actually leaving a note would probably be a bad idea. He didn't really feel like having people following him.

Damon stopped at the door and shook his head. His thoughts were a mess. He'd let a friend down by not being to help save her. He hated guilt.

When a knock made his ears perk up, Damon wondered who the hell could be at his door. Everyone he cared about was at Liz.' Who the hell was this? If it was Klaus, or any member of the Mikaelson clan, Damon would have to restrain himself from trying to kill them.

The knocking began again. Whoever it was, they were persistent and annoying. Maybe it would be a girl scout. Damon felt in the mood for a snack. Stefan and Elena would give him crap for months about eating a human, but Damon didn't really care what they thought right now. Hopefully, it would be a girl scout who was old enough to drive…

With a smile on his face and a song in his heart, Damon unlocked the door, and threw it open. His entire body froze when he took in the sight of the damp hair with the clumps of dirt in it. "Caroline? What the hell? You're dead!" Damon cried.

"Help me, Damon!" Caroline cried. Her hands had blood on them. She must have clawed her way out of her grave.

Damon moved to step outside and to embrace Caroline but she took a big step back. "Help me!" she shouted at him, fat red tears ran down her cheeks as her expression became one of desperation. "Help me!"

Waking up with a start, Damon felt the dampness of his clothes. He'd fallen asleep. His heart was banging in his chest. Sitting bolt upright, Damon shook his head and forced himself to get to his feet. He did not have time to think.

Speeding down to the basement, Damon grabbed a handful of blood bags and then sped back upstairs. He did not think as he made his way out the door and into the pouring rain. He opened the passenger seat door and felt happy that there was still a shovel in the trunk of his car. He made his way around the car and slid behind the wheel. "I'm coming, Care."

~0~

Rain continued to pour down as Damon carried a shovel in one hand and two blood bags in another. He stopped by Caroline's grave and dropped the blood bags before he took the shovel. Aiming it at the spot in the middle of the grave, Damon dropped it when a set of fingers with bloody and broken nails shot through the dirt. "Shit," he groaned.

Soon a head of very dirty blonde hair came out of the grave. He watched in horror as his friend emerged and let out a howl of pain and rage. Her eyes found his and Damon found himself staggering backwards. In spite of his dream, in spite of his intention to help his friend, seeing her returning to the land of the living felt unnatural. Slayers did not become vampires.

Caroline crawled over the dirt and on top of Damon. She did not seem to recognize him as the rain continued to shower them. His hands went up to cup her upper arms. "Caroline, it's me!" he cried.

Caroline snarled and she plunged her hand downward, pushing Damon's head to the side and moved to bite into his neck. Damon's fingers scrambled over the damp earth until he found a bag. Lifting it, he shoved it in Caroline's face.

Blue eyes widening, Caroline sunk her new teeth into the blood bag and downed it quickly before Damon shoved the other bag at her. She sucked this one down just as quickly. Damon waited to see if she would attack him again.

After a long moment, Caroline set the bag down. "Hi Damon," she said.

Leaning forward, Damon grabbed Caroline and held her tight. "What are we going to do with you?" he whispered to her. He knew she couldn't go home like this. And he couldn't take her home with him. There were no good options here. However, knowing she was back meant more than Damon would ever be willing to admit to anyone.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello, my lovely readers. Romance is the air and that may not be a good thing for a couple of characters. On with the show..**

Chapter 7: It's a Coping Mechanism, Really

As general rule, in Caroline's new life as vampire-demon-slayer-thing she tried not to get hung up on things like parties or dating, or having any sort of a life. Not that she had much of any of those things back when she was just "The Slayer of the Vampires," and other things that might try to eat someone's face. Nope. Her big love was a big monster and they didn't think too much about a casual Friday night bowl of popcorn and a movie, or double dates. That would be too normal. Too much like a regular human couple. It was always screaming. Or fighting. Or running from some new threat. Or chasing down a new threat. Or having new threat pop out at them when they did try to do something normal like go to a dance and get run-through with a sword.

So, no, Caroline did not come back to Mystic Falls High to worry about finding a new, normal boyfriend. Until today…

Blowing some hair out of her eyes, Caroline looked across the lunchroom at the table the football team took up. She'd never been that into the jocks. No, Caroline sadly had a thing for the bad boys. Or one bad boy. But she was over that. She had a new life to live. And when Klaus did show up, again, Caroline would kick his ass, buy a new pair of cute shoes and go out on a Friday night with her friends.

"Caroline?" Bonnie waved a hand in front of Caroline's eyes. "Earth to Caroline. Are you alive in there?"

Caroline continued to stare at the table full of jocks until Hayley tossed an orange at her head. "Ow!" Caroline snarled. Her hand shot downward and she threw the offensive piece of fruit back at Hayley who laughed and tossed it at Stefan. He caught it without looking up from their English reading assignment for the week. Then Caroline did a double take at the book in Stefan's hands. "Are you seriously reading _Interview with a Vampire_?"

"He calls it 'research,'" Hayley said, peeling her orange and shoving a slice into her mouth, talking around it. "I think he has a crush on Lestate."

"I thought he said it was because the vampire in the book might really be based on some variation of Klaus?" Bonnie pointed out, waving a spork at Stefan.

Stefan rolled his eyes. "Bonnie's right. And Anne Rice is a good writer." He flipped a page.

Rolling her eyes, Caroline shook her head. "The last thing I want to think about is Klaus freakin' Mikaelson." Her eyes traveled back to the football player's table.

"You mean cause you still want to bone him?" Hayley asked with a leer.

"Hales, shut up!" Bonnie snapped. "Ignore her, Caroline. She's just a horny kid with no one to play with at the moment."

"Hey! I have plenty of people to play with!" Hayley snapped. "I don't need to live through Caroline's creepy sex antics with He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Talked-About." She slid down in her chair and winked at a freshman who walked into the football player's table. The accidental smashing of one's body into hard wood shook the table just enough for a carton of milk to fall into the lap of the linebacker.

"Shit," Caroline groaned. She watched as the linebacker stood up and his hands balled at his sides. "Be back in a moment," she hissed at her table.

"Need back-up?" Hayley called, already moving to her feet.

"No," Caroline snapped. Bonnie lifted a hand and Hayley fell back in her seat with a grumble. Straightening her shoulders, Caroline made her way across the room to save a little human from a human twice his size. Sadly, she needed a release.

But Caroline hesitated when Matt Donovan stood up. "Hey, man. It's just a little spilled milk. You remember what your mom said." His face lit up with a grin that made Caroline's heart pound a little harder in her chest. He moved down the table and came to stand by the freshman. "You okay, man?" he asked.

"Y-y-y-es!" The freshman managed to get out. His eyes were wide, his body convulsed as he looked from Matt to the linebacker who still looked like he wanted nothing more than to shove the boy through the table.

"Cool." Matt placed a light hand on the boy's shoulder and he patted the kid before he turned to the side to make sure the boy would leave without anyone laying a hand on the boy.

Folding her arms over her chest, Caroline shot the linebacker a long look as the freshman hurried away to join some boys who were giving Matt hero-worship looks. A number of other students were also looking at Matt with the hero-worshipful gaze and they were certainly clapping in their heads.

"Why the hell didn't you let me teach that kid a lesson?" the linebacker growled at Matt as he sat back down. "We can't let these idiots think we're going to take their crap."

Matt shrugged. "He didn't do it on purpose. You've got to choose your fights."

The linebacker just rolled his eyes. "Man, you're so lucky you've got that arm, Donovan," he muttered while digging into his mac and cheese.

Letting out a quiet laugh, Matt's eyes moved across the room and he saw Caroline and she realized she was still in fight-mood. Her entire body was taut and her veins coursed with up-spent energy. Matt's gaze was registering confusion but Caroline thought he also looked somewhat intrigued.

Lifting her hand, Caroline offered Matt a quick wave before she turned her back and went to sit down with her friends. "Okay. Guess I'm not needed after all."

"Someone's got a crush," Hayley muttered as she stole French fries from Stefan's tray.

Bonnie smirked at Caroline who rolled her eyes. "Don't start in on me, Bon. You're the one with too many love interests."

"I what –?" Bonnie began when a couch came from somewhere close by.

"Hi," a voice said from Caroline's right.

Head tilting to the side, Caroline looked up to see Matt Donovan looking down at her, his wide sweet smile on his face. Inhaling sharply, Caroline felt her heart beginning to pound in her chest, again. This time for an entirely different reason.

"Caroline, can we talk for a minute?" Matt asked, inclining his head toward the doorway leading out of the cafeteria.

Looking at her friends, Caroline nodded. She got up and grabbed her bag, trying to ignore the stares coming from Bonnie and Hayley as well as the tiniest of movements from Stefan. "Sure," she said as she moved away from her table.

They headed through the cafeteria and Caroline could already hear the whispers around her. "What is he doing with her?" "Freak." "They'd be a hot couple. Wonder if they're looking for a third?" The last part made Caroline's brows shoot upward and she flushed, as they left the room, venturing into the hallway.

"So?" Caroline turned and leaned against a wall, trying and failing to look and feel casual. Over the period of the last six months Caroline and Matt had lost touch. Hell, it had been more like a year. She'd spent so much time with Klaus and obsessing about wanting to murder Klaus that even her time working at the Mystic Grill with Matt meant she was there and not there, not really. Plus, she knew he'd still been hung up on Elena.

"You're alive," Matt said quietly. His eyes lit up and his smile widened. His left hand went to her arm. His fingers grazed the bare skin of her wrist and the look of awe on his face told Caroline that he almost believed she wasn't real.

"Yeah. I guess I am." Caroline shrugged.

Matt's eyes returned to hers. "Bonnie told me that you'd turned." His words came out too quietly for a human to pick up but Caroline heard him loud and clear.

"I did." Caroline nodded.

Now, Matt shook his head. "That's weird. Because you seem more like the Caroline I used to know –" He stopped himself and let out a self-conscious laugh. "That sounds weird." Another shake of his head. Then he held up his hands. "When you started slaying vamps, something about you changed. It was like you began to carry this weight. Like you knew you were marked for…death…" Matt's eyes darkened for a moment as he attempted to explain himself. "And now…you seem lighter. Happier. Maybe?"

"I get it," Caroline nodded. "There was this prophecy –"

"That said Klaus would kill you. I remember," Matt nodded, leaning against the wall and watching Caroline.

"Yup. That one." Caroline shrugged. "Well, it's come to pass. And I figure: 'I'm dead. There's not much else that someone could do to me. It's time to live my life.'" She gave a quick nod, reassuring herself of her own certainty of her words. "No more living under some kind of cloud of fear."

"Cool. I like that." Matt's smile made Caroline feel lighter. "So, in the spirit of moving on… I was wondering if you had plans. For Friday night… You know… In case you'd like to go to a movie or come by my place and watch a movie or we could go to your place and watch a movie, or we could watch a movie at our own places and talk to each other about sometime…" Head falling forward, Matt groaned. "It sounded better in my head."

Laughing, Caroline reached up and placed a hand on his arm. "Matt, it sounded just fine. And I would love to go out to a movie with you this Friday."

"Yeah?" Matt cheered up. "And maybe we could have dinner afterward?"

"At the Grill?" Caroline said.

"Cool." Matt's confidence came back and he pushed off from the wall. "I will call you and you can tell me when to pick you up."

"Alright." Caroline felt her heart humming with delight. She'd just made a date plan with a nice, normal boy to have a nice, normal Friday night date. Life could not get better in Caroline's mind.

Waiting for Matt to rejoin his teammates, Caroline made her way back to her little table with her friends. "Guess who has date plans for Friday night?" she inquired, snagging one of Stefan's remaining fries.

"You," Stefan said, flipping another page. "Klaus is not going to like that."

"Screw Klaus!" Bonnie and Hayley snapped before looking at each other. Bonnie jumped back in first. "Do you know what you're going to wear?"

"Screw that. Tell me you're going to ride the quarterback to a touchdown," Hayley cried, leaning forward and cupping her elbows, a devilish look on her face.

"Hayley, not your business," Caroline snapped. She shook her head at the younger girl who pouted and flopped back in her seat. "We're just planning on going out for dinner at the Grill and to see a movie."

"Lame," Hayley groaned, leaning back in her seat, letting her head fall back so she could stare at the ceiling. "I bet that's why you screwed the vamp, because the humans are boring. Stefan, is sex with a vampire more exciting than sex with a human?"

Stefan finally looked up from his book, "I don't think you need to find out." His eyes went to Caroline who blinked at him. She hadn't thought too much about Stefan having sex with a vampire before turning. He probably did. That's probably why he got turned.

"Fine," Hayley groaned. She looked at Bonnie. "Bon, how is Kol in the sack?"

"Excuse me?" Bonnie's eyes narrowed and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Hayley, come with me. We're going to train. Obviously you have energy to burn and I have to practice my skills anyway." Honestly, Caroline did not need to practice. She did not worry about being attacked. She knew she could sense Klaus. If he were about to attack, again, she would feel it.

~0~

The sudden motion of a leather bound journal flying through the air to collide with a wall did not give Klaus the sense of satisfaction he'd been seeking. The useless journal met the carpet with a soft flutter of faded pages and barely made a sound in the thick carpet. Klaus' need to destroy something was renewed when he spotted a vase Elijah once offered him as a birthday present. Kol referred to it as a "joke."

Given the resemblance to a woman Klaus had once admired—until she wronged him and he'd had to decapitate her as punishment—was painted along the sides of the vase; it felt reasonable to attack it. Stalking over to the vase, Klaus took hold of it with one hand and whirled around, tossing it at the fireplace.

A hand appeared—where no hand had been in the first place—and stopped the vase's propulsion toward its certain death. "Niklaus, that is how we play with our art." Elijah tutted and Klaus felt his fury continuing to rise as his brother leaned down to pick up the journal. "Ah. I see you've been reading." Brows rising, "Brother Andrew of the Holy Roman Order? Taken up religion as a new hobby?"

Growling, Klaus stalked over to his brother. He jerked the journal out of his brother's hand. "I thought you had a new toy of your own, brother. The new Slayer up to snuff already? Shall I test your training?" Smirking, Klaus kept his back turned to Elijah.

Sighing, Elijah replied, "Why do you have to try my patience, incessantly, Niklaus?"

Klaus strode over to drop the journal on his desk. "Whatever else should I do with my lonely existence?" His eyes rolled upward to take in Elijah's demeanor. "Perhaps I shall play a little game? I will hide the new Slayer and you can attempt to fetch her. If you do not arrive in time; I get to end her?"

Elijah's mouth turned downward. "I thought you wished to defeat Caroline. Or have you forgotten her with your new fixation."

Chuckling, Klaus took a seat at his desk and threw his feet along the edge of it. "You know that I keep my plans on a need-to-know basis." His eyes ticked over to Elijah.

"Right." Elijah pointed a finger at the book. "Wasn't Father Andrew famous for having a charge? A young girl with a remarkable ability? Some said she could fly. Others said she was not human. She could swim through an ocean. Climb a mountain." Walking over to stand in front of Klaus' desk, Elijah began to tap on the hard oak to punctuate his every word, "Defeat the undead." Now his finger stilled and he pursed his lips, staring down at Klaus.

Klaus splayed his fingers under his chin. "Perhaps. Although I always found the idea of this girl to be a bit of a myth. Don't you?"

Shaking his head, Elijah looked around him. "How many other journals have you been reading?"

"Why are you here, Elijah?" Klaus retorted.

Elijah turned and moved to stand with one hand in his pocket. "I hear whispers that The Hunter's Council is sending members to check in on the new Slayer in town. I think it best if you…remove yourself from the equation for the time being."

Now, Klaus felt interested. "Ah. And that is why you've come to see me. Come to warn me off?" Laughing, Klaus got to his feet. He sped around his desk and took hold of Elijah's tie. Taking hold of the knot of his older brother's tie, Klaus straightened it but did not let go as his eyes met Elijah's. "It is not WE who should fear The Council. It is they who should fear US. We are The Original vampires. Do they think they can best us in a fight? They may be legion but we are superior in all things." A little smirk played at the corners of his lips as he watched Elijah continue to frown. "Do not fear, brother, I will protect us all."

Letting go of Elijah's tie, Klaus made his way back to his desk and sat back down. "If that is all, consider me warned."

Elijah shook his head. "One day, Niklaus, you will die from your sheer arrogance." With that lovely sentiment hanging in the air, Elijah took his leave.

Klaus' eyes rolled to the ceiling. If The Hunter's Council was coming to kill him, Klaus felt annoyed. Usually he would enjoy toying with them before ending a few dozen of their little soldiers and then they would scurry back to their headquarters to lick their wounds. However, with Caroline in the picture Klaus did not like the images coming into his mind.

Julian. Spiteful. Cunning. Ruthless. A man after Klaus' own heart. The man's worries over his own legacy would lead him to finding out about Caroline's status as a vampire. This would lead Julian down a dangerous road in which he would become obsessed with ending this new creature. In his line of thought, Caroline would be an abomination. A stain on the whole race of Slayers. Before word could get out of her very existence, Julian would do his utmost to end her.

This was a problem for Klaus because Caroline was his to destroy. With a groan of displeasure, Klaus picked up his phone and dialed a number. "Hello?" a voice said quietly.

"Hello, love. I need you to do me a little favor," Klaus said quietly.

"Oh, yes?" the woman seemed pleased to be hearing from Klaus again. He'd been hoping to avoid having to speak with her since he asked for the last favor.

"How are the books? Everything you'd hoped they would be?" her syrupy tone did not change Klaus' opinion. The woman was a monster of the lowest order. But she could prove useful at times.

"The Hunter's Journals were a welcome sight. Thank you," Klaus said quietly.

"You're very welcome." A pause. "What is it that you'd like from me now?"

"I'd like you to put your ear to the ground love. See if you can find out when the Council intends on leaving for the tiny town of Mystic Falls. And always use discretion," Klaus waited for her reply.

"When do I not?" she retorted with a quiet laugh.

Klaus could think of a few mass human sacrifices in the past three decades attributed to serial killers which would point to an abundance of lack of discretion. However, he kept his mouth shut. "We'll be in touch." Before she could reply, he hung up.

"Niklaus. Just the brother I wanted to see," Kol came into the room and Klaus felt his desire to destroy something returning. "Kol, what is it that you want?"

"Oh, nothing. Just though I would be the bearer of wonderful news." Kol replied clapping his hands as he plopped down in a chair across from Klaus.

Klaus pondered the futile idea of changing the locks. His siblings would find a way past his witches' spells and potions and charms. Perhaps he should simply whip out the daggers and be done with it. They could find out how their friends and lovers met their doom a couple of centuries from now.

"What is it?" Klaus demanded. He's been hoping to get back to his reading. There must be something in one of the bloody Hunter's Journals that would give him a clue to how Caroline turned.

"News to do with Caroline." Kol's smirk widened as Klaus sat up in his chair. "But I can see you're quite anxious to get back to whatever it is I interrupted." Shoving himself into an upright position, Kol turned his back on Klaus and started to leave.

In a flash, Klaus was in front of Kol. His hand slammed around his little brother's neck and he pinned Kol to the top of his desk. "What is it?" Klaus seethed, leaning over Kol and baring his fangs.

Laughing, Kol shrugged. "Caroline has decided to move on with her life. Apparently you're old news. Sorry to be a bearer of bad tidings. Do try not to mess up my shirt. I intend on taking Bonnie on a little rendezvous tonight. Seems romance is in the air."

"What in the bloody hell are you getting at?" Klaus snarled, shaking Kol. "Spit it out."

"Caroline. Has. A. Date." Kol said slowly as if Klaus were simple which earned him being shoved across the desk and into the nearest wall.

Sitting up and looking slightly dazed, Kol shook his head at his torn button-down. "I knew you wouldn't react well to the news, but you should, Nik. It's an opportunity."

"An opportunity?" Klaus scoffed. He was literally seeing red. Blood. He needed blood. He needed to turn. His hands began to shake and he could feel his nails turning into claws. How good it would feel to release the inner beast, to tear something live open to feast on its entrails. "You should leave," Klaus warned Kol, his voice coming out as an inhuman snarl.

"Before you go out to howl at the moon and piss on a tree, listen to this vital bit," Kol said, edging closer to Klaus.

Inhaling, Klaus forced the change to stop and waited. "Her little date is Matt Donovan." Kol watched Klaus, a little smile on his face and his dark eyes showing the monster that lay beneath the surface.

"That name means nothing to me," Klaus retorted. Although it rang a dim bell in the back of his head. He'd heard the name before. Some tiny part of his brain even recalled using it in passing, perhaps, or someone else. Rebekah? Caroline? One of her annoying little friends?

"The quarterback," Kol added. "A human. They're planning a nice, normal human date for this Friday. I'm sure you can clear your diary for that night, can't you?"

Human? Caroline had become a creature of the night and she desired to mate with a mere human? Had she gone mad? Or was this part of the creature she'd become's greater plan? Did it desire to destroy those things that Caroline cared for in her human life?

Turning to Kol, Klaus stared at his brother. "How did you get this information?"

"Oh, it was all Bonnie, Caroline, Elena and Hayley could talk about. Silly, really. Two vampires. A witch. And a Slayer. And all they can talk about is finding the right shoe to go with the handbag." Grinning, Kol shrugged. "I'm sure you can think of a shade of red that will go well with any accessory Caroline chooses."

"Leave." Klaus turned his back on his little brother.

"Sleep well," Kol retorted and then he was gone.

Caroline had lived very little that resembled a human life in the last two years. Why her sudden desire to cling to the past? Shaking his head, Klaus decided he needed to return to his reading.

~0~

Wind blew past Klaus as he slid the window upward. He eased his body inside the room. His feet led him a few feet to his left and his fingers caressed the pillow. Without another thought, he took hold of it and inhaled. Caroline. And not Caroline. He took a seat on the edge of the bed. His eyes moved to rest on the photo beside the bed.

Caroline. Bonnie. Elena. Just three girls with human aspirations. Setting the pillow down, Klaus took the picture frame and flipped it over. He took the back off and slid the photo out. Ripping the section with just Caroline out, he slid the photo into his pocket.

Klaus' eyes swept the room and he pushed himself to his feet. He went to the closet and pushed the doors open. Pushing the clothes that did not interest him aside, he found a box at the bottom of the closet. The unfortunate dress that Caroline tasted death in the first time. Carefully, Klaus removed it. He could smell her blood in the white fabric. With a smile, he closed the box and moved the clothes back into place.

Caroline would wear this dress one more time. And this time it truly would be her last dance.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, my lovely readers. We have new Slayer prophecies to untangle, romantic problems and some Klaroline. On with the show.. **

Chapter 8: I Had a Dream About You

_Light shone through the library windows. Its rays were almost blinding. A fist swung outward, making contact with a boy's jaw. A girl let out a quiet laugh as the boy in front of her shook off her blow and waved his hands for her to continue. "Haven't had enough," she called, her foot flying through a spray of golden orange light. The boy shook his head. "Fine," the girl called out as her foot continued to arch toward his face. He went down but his free hand wrapped around her foot. They both fell to the floor. The light from the window continued to glow around them as the girl tipped her head to the side and laughed aloud. "God, Tyler, you're really not much of a sparring partner today, are you?"_

_"Sparring?" Tyler replied. His breath was coming out in quiet pants. His fingers went up to encircle her cheek. Hayley inhaled. The wolf's chest worked up and down as she straddled him. "I think I might have to look for an upgrade," she muttered. Her eyes went to his lips. Her head bent forward and she could almost taste the mint of the gum he'd been chewing ten minutes before their session. Almost…_

_"Hayley, what are you doing?" Tyler's voice startled Hayley. He stood by the bookshelves. "We need to be researching. You know that." His eyes went down to a table down below._

_Alaric stood beside it. "All hands on deck, Hales." Funny. He never called her that._

_Caroline sat in a chair, a steaming mug of coffee in front of her. She shook her head before she picked up the mug. "She's not ready for any of this." She began to sip her drink and Hayley watched blood begin to pour over the rim and dribble onto the floor._

_"Caroline, what are you doing?" Hayley cried, staring in horror at the older Slayer-Vampire-thing. "I thought you'd stopped drinking human blood!"_

_"Who said its human?" Caroline retorted. "Ugh! This book is useless! Bonnie, can't you bring one up from Europe?"_

_Bonnie sat on the table. Her legs were crossed and she began to chant. "Sorry, Caroline," Bonnie's voice came from the bookshelves and she appeared beside Tyler. "Freya is keeping me busy…with work." She rolled her eyes and hurried back to the stacks._

_"Hayley. You shouldn't be here." Marcel's voice. Right behind her. Hayley whirled around to find Marcel. He stood in the courtyard of the Hunter's Council. "You need to stay out of it. Caroline has it handled."_

_"No. She's out-of-control." Hayley shook her head and whispered. "She's drinking human blood!"_

_"Everyone know that is not human blood," Rebekah said. She stalked over and held up a man' limp body. "This human bloody." She took ahold of the man's head. "See, he agrees." She forced the man's head to bob up and down. "Bloody useless. This one is. We say we need a Slayer. They give us a child. Look at her for pity's sake."_

_Hayley looked down at her clothes and found she was wearing a onesie with feet. "I'm sixteen!" she shouted._

_"Happy birthday, Hayley!" Klaus cried. Then he pulled out a knife. "Did you really think you'd make seventeen?"_

_"I didn't," Kol quipped. Hayley whirled to find Kol sitting beside Caroline. Caroline did not even seem to note Kol sitting next to her. "She's never going to grow up." he said, putting an arm around Caroline's shoulders._

_Caroline's head suddenly fell off and Stefan appeared behind her with a grin. "Oops," the vampire said, giggling and trying to put Caroline's head back on. "She's defective. Forgot to read the instructions."_

_"Hayley, snap out of it!" Tyler called. He stood at the bookshelf. Caroline was still alive. Alaric was shaking his head at Hayley. Bonnie was meditating._

_"I'm coming," Hayley called. She shook her head and moved to join Tyler in the stacks. Her eyes wandered back and forth. It felt like she'd walked into a much larger library. "Tyler?" she called out._

_"Over here," Tyler called. Hayley pushed a door open. "Oh?" Her brows rose as she walked into a bedroom. "Is this your place?"_

_"Duh. My parents are loaded," Tyler replied. "Come here, baby." His lips crushed hers and Hayley fell back on the bed as Tyler began to undress her._

_"Shit," Hayley sat up. "I forgot the manual. You can't have sex without the manual. I'll be right back." She tugged her shirt off the floor before making her way back into the stacks. "Oh, come on! Bonnie, stop moving the manual!"_

_"It wasn't me! It was Kol!" Bonnie called back._

_"Well, that makes sense," Hayley muttered, feeling irritable._

_Walking to the end of the stacks, she found herself inside the empty library. "Where did everyone go?" she called out. Her breath misted in the air. "Hello?" she began to shiver, rubbing her arms as she moved down the stairs and headed for the doors._

_In the hallway, Hayley saw snow on the floor. Weird. It was still fall. She continued on her way until she heard music coming from the gym. "Winter Formal?" she questioned the banner. "Seriously?"_

_Inside the gym couples danced and did not even seem to mind the giant snow man with razor sharp teeth chasing the guitarist from the band, around. "What the hell?" Hayley muttered to herself._

_"Care to dance?" Elijah. Turning on her heel, Hayley almost said "No way in hell." Then she saw Elijah's suit and his smile and she melted. "Yeah. Okay. One dance. I'm not Caroline. I don't go for old guys. Even rich, hot, kind old guys." Hayley took Elijah's hand and they began to spin around the room. "But I do have to ask: Is sex with a vamp better?" she couldn't help herself._

_"What?" Elijah seemed amused and Hayley shook her head._

_"Kidding," Hayley muttered. She felt stupid._

_"That's alright, love. Sex with a vampire is like nothing you can imagine," Klaus whispered in her ear. No! Hayley jerked back and stared in horror at her dance partner._

_"Klaus! Where the hell is Elijah?" Hayley shouted, trying to break from his iron-clad grip._

_"What do you want with Elijah, love?" Klaus asked, a frown on his face. Passing by a wall of mirrors, Hayley blinked at Caroline in Klaus' arms. Wait. No. How? Touching her hair, Hayley found blonde curls. "Are you alright?" Klaus asked before choking as blood ran from between his lips._

_Klaus fell, taking Hayley with him and Hayley looked up to see Julian cleaning a sword. "Worked for Mikael," he said. "Time to finish the job." Then he lifted the sword to plunge it into Hayley's heart. No, Caroline's. He thought she was Caroline._

_Screaming, Hayley woke up on the ground. A woman sat beside the tree. She picked up a cup of tea and spilled it across the table. "The future does not lie, Hayley. Death awaits." The woman's dark eyes moved to Hayley's and she felt so cold her spine stiffened. "Don't forget what she is." She tipped back her head and laughed while Hayley burst into sobs._

Waking up, Hayley sat on her bed. She began to pant. "I have to warn them," she cried. "I have to warn them."

~0~

"Breathe in. And out. Nice. And slow," Freya's voice came to Bonnie from far away. Their fingertips were touching but Bonnie could feel herself drifting away from the plane of existence they were on. She felt like she could touch the stars that shone outside her window tonight.

"Don't drift too far. You might not come back." Freya's fingertips slid over Bonnie's palm, encompassing her wrist. Bonnie let out a quiet sigh. Her back arched as Freya massaged her wrist. "We're getting closer," Freya murmured. "You're getting so strong, Bonnie."

"Because of you," Bonnie replied. Her eyes drifted open and she noted that they were levitating above her bed. The candles glowed five feet above their wicks. She wondered idly about taking out the smoke alarm batteries next time. How would she explain to the nice firefighters that she and her friend were simply doing some magic? There was no actual fire tonight. Just flames rising with the heat of the magic.

Eyes trailing to Freya, Bonnie saw the blonde looking back at her. The look on Freya's face made Bonnie shiver. There was a kind of hunger that Bonnie was only used to seeing with Kol. But with Freya there was something that Bonnie could not name. It felt different. Eternal. Magical is the only word that Bonnie could think of.

Closing her eyes, Bonnie continued to concentrate. "The object needs to slip out of your body. For a brief moment and then to return. It's like walking out of a room. But you have to keep the door open so you can return." Freya's words came from afar, again.

Nodding, Bonnie tightened her grip on Freya. The reassuring feel of the other witch's warm skin under her own allowed Bonnie to float outside of her body. She imagined a room. Her own room. Going to the door, she walked out of it. Turning, Bonnie looked at the open door and smiled to herself. She went into the hallway and then danced down the stairs, feeling lighter than she'd ever felt before.

"Freya?" Bonnie called out. She twirled in a circle. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes." Freya's voice came from behind her. Bonnie turned to face the witch.

Laughing, Bonnie held up her hands. "I did it."

"I know." Freya nodded. Her hands went up to cup Bonnie's face and Bonnie inhaled sharply when Freya's lips met hers. It didn't feel like kissing Kol. It felt soft and Bonnie felt her worries drift away from her as Freya continued to cup her face. Bonnie's heart pounded in her chest as she pulled back to say something. Freya's expectant look made Bonnie fear what she had to say.

Then the doorbell began to ring. One long ring. Followed by a short one. Followed by an even longer one.

Suddenly Bonnie was back in her body. She let out a cry when her back met her mattress. "Sorry," she muttered to Freya, slipping off the side and running downstairs. Flinging the door, open Bonnie stared at Hayley. The girl's hair was tangled and she looked like she'd been crying. "Hayley?"

"Something's wrong. I had a dream." Hayley shook and hugged herself.

"A Slayer's prophecy," Freya's all-business tone made Bonnie turn to look back at the older witch. "I'll make some tea." It looked like they'd have to talk later.

Right now, they had to deal with whatever ominous news Hayley had brought to Bonnie's doorstep.

~0~

Friday. It was a Friday. Already. Caroline could feel her excitement overwhelming her. She'd taken the time to curl her hair, picked a pair of earrings her mother had given her for her fifteenth birthday. Her grandmother's rubies. So pretty and delicate. They went well with the red dress Caroline chose for tonight. She hoped it did not give off the wrong signals, like she thought she and Matt would be having sex tonight. Not that she would mind having sex with Matt. But Caroline wanted this night to be sweet and simple.

Smiling at her reflection in the mirror, Caroline grabbed a black jacket out of her closet and tugged it over the dress. "Its show time," she muttered to herself when the doorbell rang.

Feeling lighter than she had in over a year, Caroline went over to the door as the bell went off again. "Coming!" Caroline called out. She wondered if Matt felt as nervous as she did.

Caroline's smile died on her lips when she found three girls and no boys on her doorstep. "Hey? What's going on?" she asked, already having a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"You can't go out tonight," Freya said. The look of doom-and-gloom on her face made Caroline frown.

"What Freya means to say is: You probably shouldn't go out tonight," Bonnie corrected Freya. They looked at each and something passed between them and Caroline was not sure how to interrupt.

Her eyes went to Hayley, who looked pale and more like a ten-year-old who'd seen a ghost than the smart-ass girl who thought she could kick the world's ass and keep going. "Hales?"

"She had a dream," Freya said with emphasis on the word dream.

Caroline had had a few of those in her time. "A dream like me and Harry Styles or a dream like the-end-of-the-world-is-here?" Her eyes flicked over her friends.

"Like something bad is going to happen to all of us," Hayley replied. "To you." Her eyes went to the doormat.

"Klaus?" Caroline felt her hands ball into fists at her sides. "It's Klaus. Isn't it?" She wanted to scream. Just one night. Just one simple, perfect night. She just wanted to go out and feel like a regular girl. For one freakin' night. And here was Klaus to ruin it. Again!

"Not Klaus," Freya jumped in.

Bonnie added. "Not only Klaus. Hayley?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "You should come in." She did not want Matt to walk into this conversation. It would be bad enough having to tell him they could not go out; he didn't have to be dragged into her drama.

Moving to stand in the middle of the living room, Caroline folded her arms over her chest. "Okay. Spill." She stared at Hayley who had just sat down.

Hayley glanced up at Caroline. Her eyes were wide and she gulped. "Well… I was sparring with Tyler. And you were drinking blood –"

"You might want to jump forward," Bonnie suggested. Her tone was gentle and she patted Hayley's knee.

Sighing, Hayley rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Sure. In my dream, you were dancing with Klaus when Julian stuck a sword through you. Both of you." She stared at Caroline before her eyes went to her hands. The girl's hands were in her lap and she stared at them like they belonged to someone else.

"Oh?" Caroline frowned. "Who is Julian?" The name sounded sort of familiar but she couldn't remember why. Her eyes ticked to the clock on the wall. Matt would be there, soon, to pick her up and her stomach tightened.

"Julian is the head of The Hunter's Council," Hayley supplied.

"Um." Caroline hummed. She'd yet to meet him. But, according to Ric—on the two separate occasions Caroline recalled Ric mentioning the jackass—Julian was a jackass. "Great." She went to the door. "Well, Matt should be here soon. So, I'll talk to him. Then you can explain why I should put this date off."

"Caroline, you don't understand," Hayley cried. She was on her feet now. Her eyes were burning into Caroline's.

Just as Caroline opened her mouth to reply, she heard someone pull into her driveway. She walked over to the curtain and peered outside. Matt. He looked a little nervous. She could see that he'd paired a button-down shirt with a pair of slacks and even wore a tie. He opened the passenger side door and then stepped back. Caroline's hand went to her mouth when she saw Matt turn around with a bouquet of daisies. They looked so bright and happy in their wrapping. Again, Caroline felt horrible about how things were going tonight.

With a sigh, Caroline went to the door. She placed her hand on the knob and turned it. "Hi, Matt," she said at the same moment Matt moved to punch the doorbell.

"Shit! Caroline!" Matt placed his free hand over his heart and let out a laugh. "Sorry! I mean, I didn't mean to curse. At you. I mean. Sh—Hi!" He waved a hand, then stared at his raised hand and ran it through his hair. "Sorry. I'm nervous."

"I can tell," Caroline let out a laugh. "You brought flowers."

"I did." Matt looked at the flowers and then shoved them at her. "Man, I am blowing this. Aren't I?" Poor Matt looked like he wanted to sink through the ground.

"Hey, Matt!" Bonnie called out and Caroline turned to find Bonnie a few feet behind her.

Matt's brows rose as he looked from Bonnie to Caroline. "Hey…" he called back.

"Matt, I am really sorry. But something's come up…" Caroline felt her heart sinking as Matt looked like she'd punched him.

"Oh? Is it Slayer stuff? Can I help?" Matt asked, looking at Caroline, a tiny spark of light coming back into his eyes.

"Not unless you have superpowers you're hiding from us," Hayley said, popping into view.

"I know how to shoot a crossbow," Matt told them, shoving his empty hand into his pocket.

Caroline reached out and took his flowers. "Come in. I'm going to put these in some water." She turned and made her way into the kitchen. She could hear Matt still talking and Hayley's remembering how to annoy people while Caroline busied herself with the flowers. Something dawned on her while she was putting the flowers in a vase. "Hayley, did your dream include dinner and movie?"

"No. Why?" Hayley asked, perching on the edge of Caroline's couch.

"Then we're going out. I'll call you if something comes up." Caroline said, turning and made her way over to Matt's side. "I've had enough of losing my normal, human moments to a life no one ever asked me if I ever wanted. Don't wait up."

"Caroline!" Bonnie cried as Caroline tugged Matt toward the front door. "This is not a good idea."

"Anything and everything in my life is not a good idea," Caroline retorted. "Bye." With that said, she opened the door and marched outside. God help the first person, vampire, werewolf or so-called Hunter who came near her tonight. Tonight, she was going on a damned date.

~0~

"How is your burger?" Matt asked, before taking a sip of his soft drink.

"One of the Grill's best so far," Caroline replied. She felt good. She could not remember feeling this light and happy in a long time. Possibly ever. This was exactly what she needed.

"Ah. Isn't this cute," one of Matt's fellow football players moved to stand over their table. "Matty's doing charity work. Not that I wouldn't be able to Make-A-Wish tonight." His eyes went below the table and over Caroline's legs with a sneer.

Matt sat back in his seat. "Jared, man, we're on a date. You mind going back to whatever cave you climbed out of until practice."

"Sorry, brother. My bad. I can see you're trying to score with the undead. Let me get out your way." Jared took several steps back, laughing as he went. He moved to join some of their fellow players and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"There's always a jackass, isn't there?" Caroline sighed, picking up a curly fry.

"They really do live up to the stereotype," Matt replied, shaking his head.

"Thankfully there are gentleman like you to give us hope." Caroline smiled at Matt who grinned back at her. For a minute, she thought they could have a real date. "So, I was thinking we could go back to your place and watch _The_ _Notebook_… Unless you'd rather watch something else."

"I've never seen _The_ _Notebook_." Matt leaned closer. "But I'll be happy to watch it if you like it."

"Ah!" Caroline giggled, taking Matt's hand and sliding her fingers between his. This night was becoming one she knew she'd never forget.

Then Jared went flying through the window and glass sprayed over patrons only a few feet from where Matt and Caroline sat. Seconds later, one of Matt's fellow football players came back into the Grill. His hand was clutching his neck. "Help!" he shouted.

Caroline was on her feet and she ran toward the boy. "What happened?" she demanded, taking hold of the boy by the shoulders.

"An animal. Some kind of an animal attacked me. Its eyes. They were glowing…and it bit my neck… It tossed Jared through the window like…like…like… Dear God, help us…" the boy began to cry.

Turning around, Caroline saw Matt's expression. "Stay with your friend," she ordered him.

"Where are you going?" Matt demanded, catching Caroline by the elbow.

"I'm going to go hunt down an animal," Caroline retorted, jerking her arm away. She marched over to the pool table and held out her hand. "Can I have that?" she said to a thirty-year-old man playing with a friend. The man took one look at Caroline's expression before he handed the pool stick to her. She stomped toward the front door. This animal was so going to regret ruining her perfect night.

Flinging the door open, Caroline stalked into the parking lot. Perking her ears up, she could hear the sounds of rustling nearby. Someone was whimpering. Someone else was thirsty. She could hear the gurgling sound of someone drinking. Vampire. A very angry vampire. Feeling a wash of the vampire's rage, Caroline rocked back on her heels for a moment. Even the vamp's victim's pain and anguish were nothing compared to the rage that filled its attacker.

"Hey, Fang Face. Show yourself!" Caroline snarled out. She knew the vamp would be able to hear her. There was the sound of a snapping. Bone. And then a squishing noise. Plop. Caroline grimaced as she looked at the head that the attacker had just lobbed her way. "Thanks for that," she muttered.

Stalking around the car the head landed on, Caroline saw a blood trail and followed it. Her feet led her to a leg. "Are you kidding me?" she shook her head. "Do you want to expose the supernatural world?" she questioned the vamp who was obviously unstable. Her eyes narrowed when she found a hand. "Enough with the bread crumb or body parts," she called out as she moved closer to the road that led to the Grill. "Come out and end this! Now!"

"Where is the fun in that?" Caroline' blood ran cold when she turned to look into the glowing eyes of her former boyfriend. "Klaus. I should have known. You do love to make an entrance."

"I have a certain flair for the dramatic," Klaus said, holding out his arms. "Come, give us a kiss, sweetheart."

Snarling, Caroline went running toward Klaus. She used the pool stick to volley herself into the air and did a somersault before she kicked Klaus in the chest with both feet. He went flying several yards. Sitting up, he let out a laugh. "I see you're angry I ruined your little date."

"Oh. You didn't ruin it. You're just in the way." Caroline broke the pool stick over her knee. "Not for long." She stomped toward Klaus who jumped to his feet. She whirled in a circle, meaning to come down on Klaus' side with one of her stakes before driving the other one through his heart. He would survive the staking but he'd be out for the next couple of hours.

Plunging the stake forward, Caroline found that Klaus was not there. Her eyes went over the darkness when she found a hand clamped around her throat. "You should have stayed in your grave," Klaus muttered into her ear. Caroline felt his fingers tear across her flesh and she let out a howl of pain.

Falling to her knees, Caroline could feel herself choking on blood and she could also feel a stinging sensation from where Klaus' claws had gone through her flesh. Her vision blurred and she turned on her hands and knees to stare at Klaus. He did not look happy as he knelt down and cupped her chin. "This is for Caroline," he said as he took one of the stakes she'd dropped. He shoved her onto her back and moved to place the stake over her heart.

Shaking her head, Caroline's eyes welled with tears. The words: "Klaus, it's me," would not come out of her throat. Instead, she clawed at his hand which held the stake, staring into his eyes and wished he could understand her—that he could snap out of whatever grief-driven madness consumed him right now.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow," Klaus said, his hand coming down to drive the stake into Caroline's heart.

When Klaus' hand stopped, Caroline felt confused until Klaus' eyes rounded and went downward. A piece of wood stuck out of his chest. "Bloody hell," he muttered before he fell over.

"I didn't think that would work," Matt said as he came into sight. He held a crossbow in his hands and Caroline would have laughed if she weren't struggling to breath. Matt pulled out his phone. "Bonnie, we need help," Matt cried into the phone, taking Caroline's hand in his. Caroline's eyes moved to Klaus.' Hopefully her friends would show up before the hybrid woke.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello, my lovely readers. Klaroline, Klaroline, and did I mention Klaroline? On with show…**

Chapter 9: If You'd Just Listen…

Of all of the crazy things that had happened since Caroline Forbes returned to the land on the sort-of living, sitting in the back of her date's truck with her murderous ex seemed like a pretty high note in her new life's theme song. However, Caroline, like her ears, were sore from the pitch. She found herself frowning every time she thought she saw Klaus make the tiniest of movements. If she didn't catch him in, he might cause a wreck. Her date could get killed. Some other innocent humans could get killed. It left her highly irritable.

"Come on, Matt!" Caroline called through the dividing window between the cab and (the other part of the truck).

"I'm going as fast as I can here, Caroline!" Matt called back.

"Yeah. If your grandma was driving," Caroline retorted under her breath. She thought she saw a twitch of an eyelid from Klaus. Leaning over her dead-for-the-next thirty-seconds-ex. "Klaus?" she whispered. Again, she saw the slightest flicker of an eyelid. Yes. He was coming to.

With a sigh, Caroline placed her hands on either side of Klaus' neck and twisted it to the side. Her heart stilled for a moment and she felt her lower lip wobble. Nope. Not giving into guilt. What should she feel guilty about? He's the one who'd lost his shit and tried to kill her, again. Could he have at least waited until after her date?

Forcing herself to look up, she saw the outline of the house. They would be there in the next ten minutes. Could it take longer? Rolling her eyes, Caroline leaned back and waited to arrive.

Finally reaching the house, Caroline waited for Matt to pull into the driveway before she took hold of Klaus' upper body and hoisted him to the side of the truck. "Need help with him?" Matt called.

"Nope. I'm good," Caroline replied. Taking hold of Klaus' upper body, she lifted him before tossing him over the side of the truck. Placing her hands on her hips, she smirked. That felt so satisfying after what he'd done earlier. "Thanks for the offer," she added before hopping out and landing in a crouch beside Klaus' prone form.

Straightening up, Caroline took hold of Klaus by the arm and hauled him toward the grass and then marched to the front door. She left him two feet away. "Scream if he makes a fraction of a movement," she ordered Matt whose blue eyes were on Klaus and he did not look like he wanted to be on Klaus-duty.

Moving to the front door, Caroline pushed the doorbell and waited. After a longer period than she felt comfortable with, Damon came to the door. His black shirt was unbuttoned and he smelled like at least one bottle of bourbon. "Caroline, whatcha doin' here?" Damon inquired, lazily beginning to button his shirt.

"I need some place to bring him. Your place is the only one I could think of." Caroline made her way over to Klaus, leaned down, and began to haul him with her.

"Hey! No! No way!" Damon cried, stepping outside and waving his hands. "You're not bringing that into my home!" he cried as Caroline proceeded to drag Klaus past the protesting vampire. "Caroline!"

"Sorry," Matt muttered, walking past Damon and following Caroline into the house.

Caroline heard Damon close the door as she moved Klaus onto a rug in front of the fire. "Lena and I were just about to play Spin the Bottle of what Sexual Position You Want to Be in Tonight!" Damon complained, folding his arms over his chest as he came to stand in the doorway.

"Hey! That's my ex, man!" Matt cried, his look of disgust made Damon shrug.

"Drink?" Damon asked. He walked to the drink stand and picked up a tumbler, shaking it at Matt who shook his head. "Seems like this is going to be a long night."

"Ya think?" Caroline groaned when Klaus' head began to lift. Grabbing a fire poker, she shoved it through his heart and he dropped, again. "Make that a very, very long night." Her eyes went up when someone whooshed into the room.

Elena stopped and looked around the room. Her hair was a bit of a mess and her dress was wrinkled. "What is going on in here?" she demanded, her eyes falling on Klaus and a look of fear appeared in her eyes. It hadn't been that long since Klaus sacrificed her to lift his curse. Her hands curled into fists. "What is he doing here?" she hissed out, looking at Damon.

Damon poured himself a drink. "Seems Caroline doesn't know what to do with her baggage, so she thought she'd bring it here!" he offered his girlfriend a mock smile before downing another drink. "Cheers to that."

"I'm not staying here if he's here," Elena's flicked to Klaus' body.

"You're perfectly safe, Elena," Caroline said shortly. "It's me he wants to kill."

"Oh, yeah? And you think he won't go right through all of your friends in the process?" Elena shook her head. "Damon, can you give me a ride back to my place?"

"Sure," Damon nodded. He pointed a finger at Klaus. "That better not be here by the end of the week. I am not an on-call babysitter-for-your-crazed-hybrid-needs." With that, he left with Elena.

Left alone with Klaus and Matt; Caroline turned to look at Matt. "I am really sorry about how tonight went –" Caroline began when Matt jumped in.

"Hey! None of this is your fault. You didn't know that Klaus was going to pick tonight to start a fight with you. I'm just glad I was there to help," Matt said.

Caroline nodded. Her eyes went down to Klaus. "Can you do me a favor? I need some chains."

"Okay," Matt nodded. "Not a problem." Then he paused and held up a hand. "I don't know where they would keep those."

"There should be some in the basement. If not, there might be some in Stefan's room," Caroline said, still watching Klaus.

"Right… This is why I don't hang out with those guys much…" Matt muttered to himself as he left the room.

Caroline crouched down beside Klaus. "You and I are going to be spending the night together, again. I'm sure you're just as excited as I am about that." This time, she did not see Klaus make a move. Shaking her head, Caroline walked over to the drink stand. She poured herself a drink and downed it. This would be a long night.

~0~

Watching Klaus sit in the high-backed chair across from her, Caroline felt restless. He hadn't woken up yet. It had been hours. She knew he should be awake by now. Not just awake, furious. "Matt, you should go home," Caroline said quietly. She could tell the human was becoming tired. "Stefan's coming home soon. He'll be able to help me with Klaus-sitting."

"I'm good," Matt said, tapping his foot on the floor. He had a crossbow lying over his knees. His eyes did not move from Klaus' prone frame.

"Matt. I'm not asking. I'm telling you: Go home," Caroline said quietly. She watched Matt shift on the couch to look at her. His expression told her that he was wondering about why she wanted to be alone with Klaus. "I'll be fine. Promise." Caroline added with a smile.

Matt nodded. "I guess you pumped enough vervain into him to knock out twenty vamps."

Caroline nodded. Perhaps that was why Klaus had not awoken. But Caroline felt like she could pour ten kegs worth of vervain into Klaus and he would still have woken by now. "Probably."

With a yawn, Matt got to his feet and stretched. He made his way over to Caroline and held out the crossbow. "Just in case."

"Thanks." Caroline took the crossbow. "Thanks for taking me out tonight. I was having a great time." She made her gaze soften to show Matt she meant it. "We should try to do it again sometime."

Matt perked up. "Yeah?" He cocked his head to the side. "I'd like that." Reaching out, he took her hand and squeezed it gently before letting go. "Be careful."

"Always. Get some sleep before sunrise," Caroline replied. She did not turn to watch Matt leave but she did hear the front door open and close. "He's gone now." She said, placing the crossbow against a leg of the chair. "You can stop faking."

After a moment of dramatic tension, a small smirk formed on Klaus' lips. His eyes opened. They were hooded and he looked groggy but the intensity of his murderous intentions were still there. "See you sent your new little boyfriend away, Caroline. Are you afraid I might harm him? Or is it you who he should fear?" Brows going up, Klaus chuckled at his own joke.

Rolling her eyes, Caroline folded her arms over her chest. "You know, a lot of girls have problems with their ex-s who just can't let go and allow you to move on. You're being such a cliché right now, Klaus. I thought better of you."

Now, Klaus' eyes narrowed. "You're just a shadow of what Caroline Forbes was," he hissed out. "But not for much longer."

"Threaten. Threaten. Threaten. Geez, Klaus. I think you're running out of material," Caroline got up and made her way to stand over him. With a little smile, she leaned forward so their noses were almost touching. "Or did you enjoy my hunting you down so much you thought you'd try it yourself? Is this role play? Am I the Big Bad? Oh, that would make you the hero." Moving so her mouth was next to his ear, Caroline finished. "Here's a clue: You're not suited to the role. You never were. You never will be."

Pulling back, Caroline watched Klaus begin to laugh. He shook his head before returning her look. "Ah, Caroline? Is it really you, love? Give us a kiss and maybe I'll be able to tell?" His eyes went to her lips. "Do you remember the first time I had you? Such an inexperienced thing you were. But a quick study." His smile turned into a leer and Caroline could feel her fingers curling into fists. "I think some part of you coveted the death you knew being with me would get you. Didn't you? Every taste. Every touch. Oh, Klaus!" he moaned, writhing to the extent the chains would allow him to.

Growling, Caroline could feel her fangs coming out. "You aren't going to bait me," she hissed out. But she could feel herself beginning to lose control. Every part of her wanted to hit him.

"I'm going to kill everyone Caroline cared for. And I'm going to make you watch as they scream and beg for mercy. And after the last one is gone, perhaps you can do me the favor of ending this charade. Stop trying to be what you are not," Klaus said quietly, his eyes searching hers. "Stop trying to be Caroline. Because as much as I am not a hero; you are not Caroline Forbes."

"You think?" Caroline snapped, clenching and unclenching her fists. "Well, maybe you're right. Maybe Caroline was murdered by your crazy-ass mother. Maybe it was by your hand that the Caroline you knew died. Maybe…" Caroline inhaled and exhaled. "Maybe I should hate you as much as you hate what I've become because it is all your fault!" Finally, Caroline felt rage pour through her body. All consuming rage. All she saw was red. All she wanted was to quench her thirst on a thousand innocents' blood. Inhaling, Caroline raised a clawed hand and swept it forward.

Klaus dropped to the side and the little smile on his face told Caroline she'd made a mistake. Again. She'd allowed him to make her angry enough to strike. Now, he shoved the chair against the fireplace and broke it, the chains dropped and he was free. "Thank you," he said.

Picking up a stake, he moved toward her. "Let's see what ends you, shall we?" he inquired. Caroline cried out in pain when Klaus swept the stake forward, slicing into her palm before he took hold of her by the neck and drove them to the floor.

"Get off!" Caroline shouted. She managed to get a knee between them and drove him back toward the fireplace. This just seemed to spur him on as he took hold of the fire poker, tossing it in the air and then aiming for Caroline's thigh. She screamed in pain as it went in and she fell to her knees. Reaching for the fire poker, Caroline tore it out and let out another howl of pain.

Klaus came speeding toward her. His hand dug into her curls and the stake went over her heart. His eyes bore into hers. "Klaus. Klaus, you have got to stop this," Caroline moaned as he began to push the stake into her heart. "I am Caroline. Klaus…"

Something whizzed by and Caroline found Klaus dropping over from a stake through the throat. "Not the heart. But it works," Stefan's voice made Caroline fall backwards. "Looks like I showed up just in time."

Falling onto her back, Caroline nodded. "Yes. Great timing." If he'd been seconds later, Caroline didn't know what would have happened.

~0~

Lifting his head, Klaus found himself inside a cell. "Ah. Is this how you plan on dealing with me?" He inquired, chuckling to himself as he looked at the heavy wooden door. He could feel a burning wave of a fresh dose of vervain and wolves bane.

Getting to his feet, Klaus tested the shackles that held him to the floor. His eyes went to the door. "You've underestimated me," he called out, jerking the shackles out from the floor with ease. He stalked over to the door. "Shall I huff and puff and blow this bloody door down or shall I…" With a grin, Klaus kicked the door. It only took one more kick before the solid door exploded in splinters and stakes that sailed inside the cell and outside of it. "Is that all you have?" he called out.

"No," Caroline appeared with a smile. "I have this." She pulled out a tranquilizer gun from her belt and shot Klaus in the neck. He groaned, glowering at her before reaching down and pulling the dart out. "Your little toys are making me lose my patience," he retorted, moving to step outside of the cell.

Bumping into something, Klaus let out a growl. His eyes shifted over the invisible barrier. "You've used a witch?" he demanded.

"Yup," Bonnie Bennett called from somewhere close by.

"Show yourself," Klaus demanded. His hands pressing to the barrier. The moment his sibling's little girlfriend stepped into sight, he would toss a stake through her heart and the spell would die with the witch who cast it.

"Not a chance. I was taught well. And I'm not stupid," Bonnie replied.

Snarling, Klaus moved away from the barrier. "And what does Kol think of your little trysts with my sister?" He inquired with a smirk.

"I'm not having trysts with anyone," Bonnie retorted.

"Don't let him goad you, Bonnie. It's what he does," Caroline said. Turning on his heels, Klaus moved to lean against the barrier, his eyes roving over the monster who wore his dead lover's face.

"Am I?" Klaus inquired. He softened his tone. "You do not know my brother, Bonnie. Kol's suffered from jealousy and feelings of unworthiness for most of his life. Poor lad. All he wishes for is to be loved." He peered to the very edge of the door. "Do you love him, Bonnie? Or will you break his heart? Because his fury is terrible. I would hate to see what he would do to Freya if he believed something happened between the two of you…"

Eyes ticking back to Caroline, Klaus grinned. "Perhaps I shall take a nap and Kol and I can have a little chat about Bonnie's after-school activities."

"What do you want, Klaus?" Caroline demanded. She kicked off the wall facing the cell and moved to stand just outside the barrier.

"You know what I want, Caroline," Klaus replied. He held out a hand to her.

"Caroline, don't!" Stefan shouted at the same time that Caroline placed a foot inside the barrier.

Feeling satisfied, Klaus sped across the space to jerk her all the way inside. "Alone. At last," Klaus muttered into Caroline's ear as she turned to stare at her friends.

Stefan came into view. "Caroline, what have you done?" he asked, moving just outside the barrier.

"What I had to." Caroline said as Klaus hands snaked over her. He placed a possessive hand on her stomach, enjoying the look of rage on Stefan's face. Slipping his hand into her hair, Klaus pressed his nose to her cheek. "Stefan. Bonnie. Go! I'll be fine. The barrier will come down tomorrow. Just go somewhere safe."

"Don't go too far," Klaus called, his mouth sliding down to Caroline's neck. He lifted his eyes to look at Stefan with a wicked grin before he sunk his fangs into Caroline's neck.

Caroline let out a quiet moan and when Klaus lifted his eyes, he did not see Stefan. It made him smile as he fed on the monster in his arms. Something about Caroline's blood tasted different. And not vampire different. He had never tasted anything like it. It made him…

Suddenly withdrawing his fangs, Klaus stumbled away from Caroline. "What have you done?" he demanded.

"What do you mean: What have I done?" Caroline demanded, placing a hand to her neck wound. "You're the one who got all grabby and then bit me." She shook her head at him.

Klaus struggled as he moved across the floor and sank to his knees. His head felt so full… "It's too much," he cried out. Tears filled his eyes. "It's too much. How…" Placing his head on his knees, he began to weep. "It's too, too much."

"Klaus… Are you okay?" Caroline's footsteps preceeded a hand on Klaus' shoulder and he fell sideways and onto his knees. His arms wrapped around her, tugging her downward. His hands worked to find her face and he searched her for signs of her understanding what her blood did to him. "Caroline?"

"Yes?" Caroline watched Klaus and he began to see what he'd been blind to since she'd suddenly appeared. "Klaus?"

"Your blood," Klaus stroked the hair away from her neck before his eyes returned to hers. He felt confused. He hadn't felt this confused since he'd become a vampire. "I feel… I feel pain. And sadness. Joy. Rage. Soooo much. I feel so much. And it's not mine. None of it," Klaus shook his head. "Your blood did this to me. He told me… He warned me that there was something different about you. You'd come back…changed. I thought…" Klaus shook his head.

"Klaus, focus for me. Please? I don't understand what you're trying to tell me." Caroline placed her hands on his knees. "Take long breaths for me." She inhaled and exhaled and Klaus would have lost his temper with anyone else in that moment. Thought they meant to make him look like a fool. In this exact moment, Klaus felt how genuine Caroline was being. Literally. He felt her emotions. And it terrified him.

"You're okay," Caroline lifted a hand and placed it on his wet cheek. "We're okay now."

Klaus took hold of her wrist and pressed his lips to it. "Oh, Caroline." Pushing closer, he crushed his lips to hers, driving her onto her back. His hands slid her zipper down and Caroline cried out as he ran his hand over her naked flesh. His knees pushed at the bottom of her skirt.

Caroline's fingers dug into Klaus' curls as he undid his pants. Their eyes met as he moved on top of her. He could feel her pleasure and he let out a growl, taking her hands and burying them into the dirt beneath them. He'd offer up his next thousand years to have a hundred nights like this with Caroline.

~0~

Klaus woke up to find Caroline laying in his arms. She had her nose pressed into the crook of his neck. They were quite naked. He expected to look up to find an audience but they seemed to be lucky for this moment. They were still blissfully alone.

Not wanting to wake her, but not being able to contain his curiosity, Klaus began to press kisses to the top of Caroline's head. His hands slid over her body until she let out a quiet cry of delight and her eyes opened before she mounted him. "Hello," she murmured. "Not feeling murder-y this morning?" she inquired, running her lips down the side of his neck.

"No. Actually, I'm feeling rather opposite of murder-y," Klaus muttered, sitting up. He ran his hands up and down her back. "However, there is something I need to talk to you about."

"After?" Caroline muttered, pushing him onto his back. Klaus could not begrudge her that.

~0~

Dressing, Klaus looked at Caroline. "Tell me, love, what is it, exactly, I experienced last night?"

"Make-up sex?" Caroline replied with a light laugh as she turned for him to zip her dress. When he did not reply, she turned to him with a serious look. "Do you promise not to try to kill me, again?" She watched him as he nodded. "Right. Okay. This is a weird thing to try to explain." Caroline inhaled before proceeding. "You see, I didn't know that my family is part demon. Empath demon, I feel what other people feel. I just didn't know that your drinking my blood would leave, well, you tripping on my emotions, and probably the emotions of every person I've been in contact with lately. Which is a lot. I've learned to block a lot of it. But some people, their emotions are like tidal waves. Like you. You feel, a lot."

"You could feel how I felt…" Klaus did not like the sound of that. He worked very hard to make himself unreadable to others. But with Caroline's new empath abilities, that seemed to be over. "Is that how you were able to turn?"

"That's my mother's theory. When I came home, she was in total shock and then I told her about vampires." Caroline paused and rolled her eyes. "Apparently she already knew about them. And she was hiding this whole empath thing from me. I mean, what the hell."

Klaus eased his arms around her and smiled down at her. "Usually empaths are a different color."

"Oh?" Caroline's brows shot up.

"And they have horns, darling," Klaus chuckled as Caroline placed her hands to her head as if by saying "horns;" they would magically sprout from her head. "I'm teasing you, love."

"Okay. Because I was thinking that I'm supposed to be just a teeny bit empath. So, maybe, that's why no horns," Caroline's hands moved toward her head when she forced them back down to her shoulders. "You're not still angry about my coming back then?"

"I was homicidal in my grief." Klaus told her, lifting a hand to cup her cheek.

"You mean psychotic. And not your usual state of psycho, but no-holds-barred-out-of-my-freakin'-mind-hide-the-sharp-objects-kind." Caroline searched Klaus eyes. "Do you still love me? Even if I am a vampire-Slayer-demon-thing?"

"I'd like to stay on the trial basis and see how things go from here," Klaus replied. Caroline's eyes widened before he kissed her. "I will love you for the rest of eternity, Caroline Forbes. What was driving me mad was the idea that I made you into something you were never meant to be—something you would not wish to be —"

Caroline reached up and placed a finger to his lips. "I'm okay," she whispered. "We're okay." Her lips found his, again, and they stayed that way until a cough startled them.

"See. Told you. Lock them up for a night. And they'll be back where they started out," Damon said. "Although I prefer to keep him in here for another decade."

Klaus turned to smirk at Damon. "I won't complain if Bonnie keeps the spell up for the next two days."

Caroline buried her head in his shoulder and said something no one caught. Her eyes lifted to meet Klaus and he felt happy. For now. Then his thoughts went to their next problem. What happened when The Hunter's Council arrived? "Caroline, there's something we need to speak of." Caroline's smile dipped and Klaus did not need her blood to know how she felt because he felt the same way.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello, my lovely readers. There's a little bit of Klaroline and we're going to see the plot thickening with a big arrival from **_**The**__**Hunter's**__**Council**_** and some twists. On with show…**

Chapter 10: Does Anyone Else See Those Ominous Clouds?

Klaus strode from one end of the Salvatore's Great Room to the other. His thoughts were a chaotic haze at the moment. He attempted to create a plan of action in his mind and the field was unclear. Too many unknowns. He felt unsettled by not knowing where to begin. War was where he excelled. Strategy. Out-witting the mere fools who thought they might match him move for move and find themselves having lost everything, as well as their heads. However, this time it felt different and he locked eyes with Caroline Forbes. Caroline. She was the piece that he could not place in any set position.

"Okay. Are you going to talk to me?" Caroline demanded, placing her elbows on her knees and cupping her face with her hands. The sweet smile she offered him tugged at his heart. He could tell she was trying to appear unfazed by whatever was on his mind.

"Maybe he changed his mind and still wants to kill you, instead of screwing you all over MY house!" Damon added, leaning against the back of the couch Caroline sat on, with an annoyed look on his face.

"You could just as well leave. Your attendance is unnecessary at the moment, Damon," Klaus replied with a biting smile.

Damon rolled his eyes and smirked back at Klaus. "Well, I would, but you see, this is where I keep the good booze." He opened a chest behind Caroline and then straightened up with a bottle in hand.

Stefan Salvatore strode into the room. "So, what's up?" he asked, his eyes on Caroline. He offered her a happy-to-see-you're-still-alive expression before giving Klaus a not-so-much-that-you-are one.

Klaus clapped his hands together. "As much as I would like for this to be part of a Scooby Meeting, Caroline and I have things to discuss. Alone."

Damon rounded the couch and plopped down next to Caroline. "I don't think so."

Stefan crossed the room and sat down on Caroline's other side. "Me, too." He threw an arm around the back of the couch and the Salvatore idiots traded smiles with each other before turning to look at Klaus.

Caroline sat up and slapped the brothers on their respective knees, moving to push herself upward. "This is fun. But I can take care of myself. And I'm going to do that. Somewhere else."

"Not so much, Blondie!" Damon replied, slapping a hand on Caroline's shoulder.

"Not without someone else there. Just because you and Klaus didn't kill each other last night, doesn't mean he has the best of intentions for you. Now." Stefan added, placing a heavy hand on Caroline's other shoulder.

Rolling her eyes, Caroline shot a look at Klaus, who crossed his arms over his chest. "Seriously!" she groaned. She suddenly shot to her feet and was next to Klaus in the blink of an eye. "Look, I appreciate the completely unnecessary show of solidarity bordering on overbearing Papa Bears' status, but I can take care of myself. Thank you!" Turning to Klaus, Caroline nodded. "I guess this is where we go and talk. Somewhere else."

"Caroline, please. I don't think it's a good idea for you to be alone with him. Not yet," Stefan tried. He stepped in front of Caroline.

Klaus smirked when Caroline turned to face her friend. "Stefan, I get that you care, and that's lovely. But I need to deal with this. On my own." With that said, Caroline started to walk around Stefan when Stefan's hand came up with a syringe in it.

Klaus let out a quiet growl when he felt a hand come down on his shoulder and then he felt a prick at the side of his neck. "When you don't listen to reason. You've got to go back in the cell." Damon's words made Klaus vastly irritable and he would have whirled and ripped Damon's heart of his chest, but the world was tilted. He narrowed his eyes as Stefan injected Caroline and turned to see Klaus dropping to the floor.

~0~

Waking up, Klaus found that Caroline was already up and pacing about the cell. His eyes narrowed. Staring around the cell, Klaus perked up his ears to see if he could hear anyone outside the cell. As if she knew he was awake, Caroline whirled on her heel to stare at him. "They're worried about me," she informed him.

"I believe you're correct," Klaus said. He eyed the ceiling. "They should be worried about how I plan on punishing them for this great mistake they've made!" he called out, hoping they heard him.

"Another spell?" Klaus inquired. Not waiting for an answer, he moved toward the door.

"Yes." Caroline replied while Klaus attempted to push his fingers between the rails.

Finding he could not move past another invisible wall, Klaus shook his head. "How lovely of Miss Bennett to use her skills for vampires." He knew witches hated working for vampires and he hoped she was nearby and would hear him.

A soft chuckle sounded from the other side of the door. Movement in the darkness, the appearance of a shadow and then a blonde woman strode to stand on the other side of the invisible barrier. "Hello, brother." Freya's lips curled up in the corners. "It's good to see you, again."

Klaus smirked back. "Ah, I see you decided to step in for your little…what is it you're calling Bonnie these days? Does Kol know?" He lifted his eyebrows and Freya's smirk froze for a moment. "Let me out and I will help you to keep Bonnie safe when Kol's grief of his lost love takes hold and his desire to harm you both takes control."

Freya shook her head, "Niklaus, do not attempt to manipulate me." Her eyes moved over his shoulder. "Caroline. I am sorry for all of this." She offered Caroline a look that meant to convey her genuine regret. Klaus felt that Freya would regret this, but not for the reasons she thought.

"So, you've decided to work with the idiotic Salvatores?" Klaus inquired, tilting his head to the side.

"I'm not working with them. And they seem to have reasonable concerns. At this moment, our concerns align." Freya watched Klaus closely. "Now, tell me, brother, have you truly had a change of heart when it comes to Caroline?"

Stepping away from the door, Klaus moved away from the door. "Dear sister, I would love to answer all the questions you would like to ask me. However," chuckling, Klaus looked at Caroline, "I do not wish to discuss matters which could mean harm to more than just myself." Turning on his heel, Klaus pointed at the ceiling.

Shaking her head, Freya moved closer to the invisible barrier, "Niklaus, you know that I cannot help you. Not if you refuse to tell me what you're planning."

Klaus turned to Caroline. He moved toward her and placed his hand on her cheek, "Forgive me," Caroline's expression became confused when he suddenly snapped her neck to the side. Wrapping his arm around her middle, Klaus placed his hand over Caroline's chest. "Tell the Salvatores to let us go, or they can watch as I tear her heart out and we can find out if demons out-live that condition."

Freya's eyes widened and she turned. Klaus could hear her feet on the stairs.

Cradling Caroline in his arms, Klaus forced himself to harden himself as he waited for the Salvatores to come down. Stefan made it first. His green eyes widened. "What have you done!" he cried, his voice low as Klaus pushed his hand inside Caroline's chest cavity.

"Not 'What have I done?' 'What will I do?'" Klaus offered Stefan a dark smile and Stefan turned away from Klaus as Damon appeared with a crossbow.

"Damon, put it down!" Stefan snapped.

Damon shook his head. "No! I've had enough of this jackass!"

"He'll kill Caroline!" Damon shouted. He continued to point the crossbow at Klaus. "I'm done playing his games!"

A sigh came from the other side of the door. Then Stefan's and Damon's necks snapped. They both dropped out of sight. Hearing familiar words spoken in Latin, Klaus watched as the door opened.

Stepping out of the cell, Klaus turned to Freya. He lifted the hand that was not covered in blood. "Come with me, sister," he said quietly.

Freya followed Klaus who lifted Caroline in his arms. They left the Salvatores' home and Freya stopped by her car. She opened the back door and Klaus laid Caroline across the backseat. He felt a prick of guilt before he moved to take a seat on the passenger side. He did not speak until Freya started the car.

"The Hunter's Council will come," Klaus said quietly. "They always do. Especially with a new Slayer in play. When they do, they will discover Caroline…"

"You're afraid of what they'll try to do to her?" Freya's brows rose. "I thought you feared nothing. Other than our parents." She shot him a smirk and Klaus rolled his eyes. "Possibly death," she added.

Inhaling, Klaus glanced in the rearview mirror at Caroline's prone form. "If all of you thought me mad by how I reacted to Caroline's return, then you will not be prepared for how the Council will react to this."

"What do you think they will do?" Freya inquired, glancing away from the road.

Klaus let out a quiet growl. "They will do everything they can to destroy her. Bar that possibility, they will find a manner to trap her and ensure that she is never seen or heard from again."

Freya frowned. "Well, then it's a good thing she has so many people who are willing to die for her, isn't?"

Klaus wanted to hug his sister but if she flipped the car and then ended up in a bloody and twisted wreck, that would do little good. He settled for two words: "Thank you."

Freya shot him a smile. "Thought you weren't capable of saying that."

"You listen to Elijah too often," Klaus replied. Now, he would just have to sort out Kol. Hopefully this would not end with his younger brother in a box. They would need all the help they could get.

~0~

Julian could have sent someone, anyone else to Mystic Falls. However, you could say he was feeling nostalgic for his last trip to the tiny town. "Over there will do." He spoke quietly to the young woman who drove the car. He reached in his pocket and glanced at the address on it. Marcel Gerard's new home. For now.

Getting out of the car, Julian glanced to his left and right. Humans walked around without any sense of the danger that surrounded them every single day. And it was Julian's duty to ensure they never had to look into the face of all-out horror. The thought made a smile come to his face.

"Ladies first," Julian told the blonde at his side. She marched ahead of him. Her curls bounced up and down and her once cheerful demeanor had slid away to reveal a dark personality. This made her the best companion, in Julian's expert opinion for this job.

The blonde made her way into the building and glanced at the row of mailboxes before moving to the staircase. She went up them ahead of Julian. He glanced at the names Gerard/Marshall typed on a piece of blue paper. So, Marcel had chosen to use their real names. Julian shook his head, feeling bemused. What would be the cover story here, he wondered. Cousins? Half-siblings?

The blonde stopped in front of a door and rapped her fist on it. Julian leaned against a wall, a few feet away. He wanted his presence to be a shock to the two occupants. That's why he came on the weekend, hoping to find them at home.

After several long moments, the blonde turned her head, poised to speak when the door opened. "Marcel!" she cried with a delighted smile.

"Cami! What are you doing here?" Marcel replied.

Before Cami could reply; Julian moved into view. "We're here to visit old friends. May we come in?" His blue eyes glittered and he offered Marcel a wide smile.

Marcel covered his shock well, but Julian could still tell that the younger man felt uneasy about Julian and Cami appearing on his doorstep. "Sure. Come on in. Can I get you guys anything to drink?"

"I could use a cup of tea," Julian said. He entered the apartment and noted the closed door. "Is she here?" he asked, his eyes moving to Marcel who knew exactly who Julian meant.

"Hales! We've got company!" Marcel shouted.

It took another long moment before Hayley jerked the door open with an unhappy look. Her dark hair was shorter than it had been when she left. She had dark circles under her eyes but when she saw Julian, she grinned. "Hey!" she cried.

"Hey? Is that all I get?" Julian cried, shaking his head. Opening his arms, he waited.

Hayley came running across the room and threw her arms around his neck. Lifting her off her feet, Julian hugged her tight. Setting Hayley on her feet, he cupped her face with both of his hands. "How have you been, darling? Have you been behaving like a proper Slayer for Marcel?" Julian inquired, tucking a dark lock behind her ear.

Hayley nodded, tugging her mid-driff T down and placing one of her feet on top of the other. In that moment she looked like the ten-year-old he had a hard time reminding himself she was not anymore. He placed an arm around her shoulders. "Doesn't matter. We'll sort everything out as we go, shall we?"

Hayley nodded. She moved to sit down at the tiny table they seemed to be using as a dining room table. "Hi, Cami," she said quietly as Marcel went about making a pot of tea.

"Hey, kid." Cami took a seat across from Hayley who moved to place her chin on her knee, her foot on the chair she sat on. Julian gave Hayley a long look and she moved her foot down, wrapping her arms around herself.

Cami glanced at Julian who stared back until the blonde turned her attention back to the child. "How many vamps have you killed since you've been here?"

"A few," Hayley replied.

"She's being modest," Marcel called out, pulling out two mugs.

"Not drinking with us?" Julian inquired.

"No. Not much of a tea drinker," Marcel replied. He pulled out a bowl and then moved to grab a box off the top of the fridge. "Hales, you want breakfast?" he asked, shaking the box with the cartoon on the front of it at her.

"Yes…" Hayley glanced at Julian. "Please," she added quietly.

"What is that?" Julian beckoned Marcel with a hand. Taking the box, his eyes widened and he gave Cami a horrified look. "Sugar?" Shaking his head, Julian moved toward the fridge. "Our Slayer shall not be binging on this junk like a normal teen." He used the word normal with the same disdain that most people would say "mold" or "vomit." "What she needs is fruit and eggs." He opened the fridge and found nothing that looked like what he described. "My God, man, what are you feeding our girl?"

Julian shook his head at Marcel who stared back at him. Straightening up, Julian hoped that Marcel would challenge his authority but Marcel disappointed him by looking at Hayley. "I suppose Hales and I can drop by the store and get something."

Holding up a hand, Julian shook his head with an indulgent smile. "No. Do take a rest. You look like you've been working ever so hard to keep up with our little Slayer's training. Take a break. Visit with your friend." Julian's smile fell on Cami. "I'll take Hayley out for breakfast and she can show me around the town. It's been some time since my last visit."

"Not much changed," Marcel said. Julian stared at him. Marcel shrugged. "According to locals."

"Well, they wouldn't know what to look for, now would they, Marcellus?" Julian's smile turned up several wattages when he used Marcel's name. For some reason it always seem to irritate the hunter. "Don't worry. We'll be back before night fall. Then you can show me how the hunt goes."

Making his way toward the door, Julian beckoned Hayley with a wave of a hand. Hayley glanced at Marcel before she made her way to the door. She opened it and they left the too-small-for-two-people apartment.

The two went down the stairs and outside. As soon as they were out, Julian stretched his arms and closed his eyes. "Ah, fresh air. After being in the cramped hole; I could use some. How about you, Hayley?" His blue eyes slid to the girl.

Hayley shrugged in her over-sized sweater. She looked like she'd lost weight. The change annoyed Julian. Again, he wondered if he should re-direct Marcel to New Orleans. Obviously, he'd been a poor choice of mentor to this girl. Where was the young rebel that Julian recalled with such fondness? Beneath an ill-fitted sweater and a pair of blue-black bags under the child's eyes.

Not the time. Julian decided he must keep the mood light today. "Shall we?" Julian asked, nodding toward the sidewalk. They were only a quarter of a mile from town. A nice, brisk walk was good for a younger Slayer.

Hayley glanced at the parking lot. "You didn't bring a car?" she inquired with a glum expression.

"Better for the environment and better for your fitness," Julian retorted, setting off along the sidewalk. He glanced over his shoulder.

Hayley frowned but she trudged after him. "Fine," she grumbled. Her eyes darkened and Julian thought he saw a glimpse of her old spark ignite.

Continuing down the sidewalk, Julian nodded at passerby with a wide smile. Most of them smiled back and offered greetings like typical small-town people do. If they knew what lurked about them and how many ways the creatures that walked down their sidewalks could do to harm them.

"Where shall we go for breakfast?" Julian inquired.

Hayley glanced at him. "I guess… The Grill." She shrugged. "That's where most people around here eat." A sudden chiming sounded from her bag and Hayley reached inside and peered at the screen. Her eyes narrowed and she groaned before she tossed it back into her bag.

"What's that about?" Julian inquired.

"High school drama," Hayley replied, hitching her bag higher and giving him a sulky-teenage frown.

"Something to do with a boy?" Julian replied with a smirk.

Hayley's brows rose. "A boy?"

"Or a girl?" Julian added. He watched as Hayley rolled her eyes. "Friends?"

"You said that I'm better off without friends. 'They get killed. They get you killed.'" Hayley's eyes trailed down to the sidewalk.

Julian shrugged. "Small towns. It's hard to stay in one without playing the bit. They're not people you can rely on. You keep going if you lose one of two, but it's always good to play the part you're assigned for the time."

Eyes moving to meet Julian's, Hayley shrugged. "Then I guess I have some friends."

"Oh, do tell." Julian watched Hayley closely as they moved closer and closer toward the center of the depressing little town.

"There's a boy. He's nice enough," Hayley blushed. The hint of a smile made her look just like any other sixteen-year-old. "We spar a lot."

"And he believes you do so for what reason?" Julian caught Hayley freezing up for a second too long. "You haven't been telling your new little friends about who you are, have you? You know the rules, Hayley Jane Marshall."

Hayley stopped and glanced around them. Then she looked back at Julian. "They used to be her friends," she told him quietly. Her gaze had become solemn and Julian took in this new bit of the puzzle.

"You mean: Caroline," Julian retorted. He offered Hayley a kind smile. "You've fallen in with her old lot." Hayley nodded and they continued on their way. "Smart. I always knew you had multiple talents. What information have you gathered since joining their little pack?"

Hayley shrugged. "Not much."

Julian placed a hand on her shoulder. "Not to worry. They'll begin to trust you. And then they will happily tell you whatever you desire them to. Just remember, they're not your friends. They're hers."

Hayley's eyes shot up to Julian's and he thought he caught a hint of anger. She didn't reply aloud. Instead Hayley nodded at the brick building. "That's the Grill." She now began to move ahead of Julian with a casual cockiness that he didn't remember her displaying while she lived at the Hunter's Council. It made him smirk as he followed her into the restaurant.

Inside, Julian found there was nothing that left a lingering impression. The usual townies you found in most places like this. A pool table. A group of teens laughing a little too loudly while they tossed food at each other.

A tall blonde boy came toward them with a wide smile. "Hey, Hayley." The boy greeted her like they were friends. Julian offered the boy a smile. Was this the one Hayley had been sparring with of late? There did not seem to be anything remarkable about him which made Julian happy. He would not last long as a distraction for the girl before she moved onto to someone else.

"Hey, Matt," Hayley replied. Her nervous smile told Julian that he was correct in his assumption.

"Have you heard from Ca—" Matt began when Hayley began to cough, clutching at her throat.

Concern filled Julian who placed a hand on Hayley's back. "Are you alright?" he asked her.

Hayley shook her head, curling her hand and tilted it upward.

"Get her a glass of water," Julian ordered the blonde boy who hurried away. Julian cupped Hayley's chin. She continued to cough, her face turning rather red while the town's people watched in curiosity. Bloody fools.

Finally, Matt returned with Hayley's glass of water. Hayley lifted it to her mouth and began to gulp it down. Little trickles of water pooled on either side of her mouth and her eyes were watering as she shoved the empty glass at Matt. She lifted a hand to wipe at her eyes and inhale sharply. "I'm okay now," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "Think I got air down the wrong way." She chuckled, looking at Matt. "And, no, I didn't hear from Carl last night."

"Oh?" Matt looked confused before he looked at Julian. "Hi, I'm Matt." He held out a hand.

Julian took Matt's hand. "Julian. I'm Hayley's father."

"Mr. Marshall. It's great to meet you," Matt replied with a big, dumb smile. Yes, he was nothing for Julian to worry about. "Can I show you guys to a table?"

"Yes," Julian said when Hayley took a step to the side.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Hayley told Julian. She did not wait for him to reply. "Girl problems." She muttered before hurrying off.

Matt let out another chuckle and then he led Julian over to a booth. "You been in town long, Mr. Marshall?"

"No. I just arrived to see how Hayley's been settling in to a new town. It's been difficult—the separation. We've always been quite close." Julian shot Matt a smile. Matt smiled back as he handed Julian a menu.

Soon, Hayley came toward the booth and took a seat. "I'd like pancakes and a glass of milk," she said, without taking a look at the menu.

Julian opened his own menu and looked over the offerings. He shook his head. Not much to say for what they served here. "I'll take a veggie omelet and a glass of orange juice. And a tea, if you will."

Matt nodded, taking the two menus and made his way back behind the counter. Leaning closer to Hayley, Julian glanced at the boy. "Is that the boy you were telling me about?"

"No." Hayley shook her head. "No. Matt's nice. He's just not my type."

"Ah," Julian replied. He sat back in the booth and waited for the food to arrive. While he waited, his eyes went to the counter where a man stood up and glanced around him before he spotted Julian and Hayley. A little smirk played at the corners of his lips before he made his way toward the door.

Julian felt his fingers curl into a first. "Excuse me," he said to Hayley.

Hayley nodded and she kept looking around like she expected someone to appear. This gave Julian the ability to slip out of the restaurant. He went around the side before he caught the man who had spotted him by the collar and to slam the man against the side of a car. "Have you followed me here?"

The man held up his hands. "Hey, you know how the boys in Rome are. They like results." The man grinned at Julian whose eyes narrowed.

"Stay out of my business, witch," Julian snarled. "Or there will be the hell to pay."

"There will be hell to pay if you don't end the abominations like you swore to over a decade, Julian," Cade whispered with a grin.

Julian rolled his eyes and stepped away from the other man when people came walking by. "I do my job. You do yours," Julian snarled. "In the meantime, stay out of my way."

Cade shrugged. "With pleasure. Just make sure we see results. Soon."

Julian rolled his eyes before he turned to Hayley. The food was on the table and he cut into his omelet aggressively. He had to admit, it wasn't bad and if it were one of his last meals; he could not complain too much.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Peace,**

**-J**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello, my lovely readers. Sorry for the long wait. Hope you enjoy the chap. On with the show…**

**Ch. 11: Can We Trust Her?**

Sitting on a picnic table, just outside of the high school; Bonnie Bennett consulted her SAT Prep book. It felt weird, sitting out here, by herself, and studying. She glanced at her phone, again. No one had called, or texted back

Caroline should have shown; if no one else. Elena had decided to try to track down Jeremy, Damon and Stefan went as back-up. Tyler might be... Bonnie had no idea. Kol and Rebekah probably planned to compel their way into college; if they even intended on attending. Bonnie felt her stomach tighten at the thought of her absent boyfriend. Did he ever think of their future after high school? What kind of future did they really have?

Closing her book, Bonnie started to unzip her bag when she felt the air shift. "Giving up so soon? Thought you lived for this," Rebekah tapped the cover of the book with a long fingernail, "stuff."

"She does." Kol appeared, folding his arms over his chest. "Not all of us can live for shagging the entire football team."

"Shut it, Kol," Rebekah snarled. Flipping the book back open, she smiled. "Oh, here is a good one: Abhor!" she declared. "Bonnie, tell us, love: What does that mean?"

"Emphasis on the last syllable," Kol added. This caused Rebekah to elicit a snarl and to knock Kol into the nearest tree.

Staring at her hands, which lay, uselessly, in her lap, Bonnie said, "I missed you. Last night." Her words were aimed at Kol.

Picking himself up, Kol dusted himself off, but he did not look in Bonnie's direction. "Oh? Yes?" He paused and Bonnie waited for an explanation. She knew they'd been struggling since coming back from New Orleans, but she'd been hoping they could work through it. One of the reasons they had not been able to was Kol's desire to return to NOLA, to tear everyone in The Hunter's Council limb from limb. And the other reason...Bonnie did not want to dwell upon...

"I had something I had to take care of." Kol's lack of an explanation for his absence did not make Bonnie feel any better. His lack of concern for her feelings on the subject left her feeling confused, scared, and a little angry. But Rebekah broke into the lapse with her own commentary.

"Let us guess: You were busily undergoing a personality transplant. Good on you for trying. Too bad it, obviously, it did not take. The younger Original smirked at her big brother. Rebekah did not seem to register the tension brewing between her brother and his witch.

Kol shot Bekah a dark look which Rebekah did not seem to notice. She'd returned to the Prep book. "How about: Extenuating?" she offered. "They use that a bit in the law shows. The reason Nik kept Kol in a box for so long was that there were extenuating circumstances!"

Now, Kol openly-glared at his sister, but he spoke to Bonnie instead. "I'm sure Freya was sure to keep you company in my absence..."

"Actually, I haven't heard from Freya for most of a day." Bonnie heard her own words and frowned. Since they'd met, Bonnie and Freya rarely went through a day without some sort of contact...

"How very terrible. For both of you," Kol retorted and Bonnie felt his word rip into her.

Again, Rebekah interrupted "I'll call her. She's probably just been called away, for something witch-y." She waved a dismissive hand. "Where is the wolf? I want to quiz him. You two are no fun."

As if Bekah had summoned him; Tyler appeared. And he was not alone. "Ty. Matt. What's up?" Brows knitting together, at the all-too-serious looks on the two boys' faces; Bonnie waited for the world-shattering announcement they seemed poised to give.

"There's someone new in town," Tyler told them, solemnly.

"And that is news?" Kol came to lean against the table, next to his sister. Neither Original seemed impressed, and Rebekah returned to the SAT book.

"YES!" Tyler snapped, his eyes lighting up with an energy that left Bonnie tense. "Matt, you should tell them."

"Since when is _he_ part of _this_?" Kol waved a hand to include himself, Bekah, Bonnie, and Tyler. Kol's gaze lingering on Matt, making it clear that Matt was the unwanted ant at the picnic.

Matt gulped, "He's right. I don't feel right, being here, without Caroline here."

"As well you shouldn't," Kol growled out. "Go play with your little mates and your inflated cowhide."

"Let the boy speak!" Rebekah snapped, setting the book aside, and slid off the table. "Come, Matt, you have nothing to fear from us," her tone was gentle and coaxing. A snake charming its victim before sinking it's fangs in.

"Nothing to fear, but her ability to rip your still-beating heart out of your chest and drain it before your lack of a brain quit working. If it ever did." Kol grinned at Matt and Bonnie felt annoyed.

"Matt, you've got to tell them. They're in danger, too." Tyler cried.

"We're in danger? Have you ingested the wrong drugs with your kibble this morning, pray tell?" Kol sneered at Tyler.

"I would really feel better if Caroline was here," Matt began when Rebekah let out a loud groan.

Placing her hand on Matt's arm, Rebekah said, "Relax."

Bonnie watched Matt's body settle. It took a minute before Bekah glanced over her shoulder. "Who the bloody hell is Julian?"

"Julian?" Bonnie and Kol looked at each other. Seeing Kol's jaw tighten; Bonnie got to her feet. She intended on going to him, but he sped over to Matt, pushing Rebekah out of the way.

Hold on Matt tightening, Kol stared at the quarterback. "Tell me what you know!" the vampire hissed, displaying fang.

Seeing Matt's eyes beginning to well up from pain; Bonnie stared at the back of Kol's head until her boyfriend dropped to his knees, howling in pain. "Bonnie, stop!" Kol cried.

"Only if you promise to stop bullying Matt. That is not how we treat friends." Bonnie watched Kol through narrowed eyes.

"And if you don't back off; I'll make you!" Tyler's eyes glowed yellow and his own fangs came out.

"Bite me, wolf, and they'll be finding bits of you I scatter across The States, for decades," Kol replied through clenched teeth. No more than he made the threat than Bonnie increased the volume of the spell. Kol let out a howl, his nose leaking blood down his shirt. "Enough!" he relented, staring at Bonnie. "Enough, love! I'll behave!"

"Good. Because we're in this together." With one, last warning look, Bonnie walked over to stand before Matt. "Matt, we really need for you to tell us how, and why, you know about Julian." She made her request as non-threatening as possible. Her eyes pleaded with Matt. She could only protect him from Kol for so long.

"Who is Julian?" Rebekah demanded, hands on her hips.

Everyone ignored her. "Caroline -" Matt tried, again.

Shaking her head, Bonnie maintained eye contact with Matt. "Caroline is not here. But I am. And I can tell Care what you know, but you have to help me, Matt. Can you do that?"

Nodding, Matt looked at Bonnie. "He came into the Mystic Grill. With Hayley. He introduced himself as her father. I didn't think about it until I remembered Ty saying that Hayley is an orphan. She was also acting really nervous; when I tried to ask about Caroline. She called Care 'Carl.' Something was wrong. Is wrong."

"Hopefully that means that Julian doesn't know about Caroline," Tyler added, folding his arms over his chest. "But someone needs to warn her. Before Julian runs into her on the street."

"I called her, about studying for the SATs," Bonnie remarked, "but she never replied."

"I tried to call her, too." Matt looked at the others. "Should we try to find her?"

"You're fools if you do." Kol's comment made all eyes turn to him. "It's The bloody Hunter's Council, for pity's sake. Hunting is what they live for. It's in their blood. They'll be looking into all of you."

Kol's words made sense. Just because Caroline was supposed to be gone, that did not mean The Council would not still take a special interest in her friends. "Just remember, you're not just Caroline's mates: The newbie seems to have inherited you lot."

"Kol's right," Bonnie groaned, shaking her head.

"Just because Undead of the Month Club is you boy toy, doesn't mean he's right," Tyler retorted.

"Tyler," Bonnie snapped. "Think about it, they'll be watching us. If we go after Care; we'll lead them to her."

"Caroline can handle herself. Plus, she has us," Tyler argued.

"If you think that The Council will not skin your pelt off, and feed your bits to nightwalkers; you're a fool," Kol informed Tyler. "However, I will rip Julian's face off if he comes near me, again." That said, Kol sped off.

"Rebekah," Bonnie said and Rebekah nodded.

"I won't let him do his worst. Yet." The air stilled where the Original sister had been.

Bonnie turned to Tyler and Matt. "We'll keep trying to contact Caroline. But we have to act normal." As she spoke, other students began to arrive on campus, and Bonnie opened her bag, putting her book away.

"Hey!" Hayley's voice made Bonnie drop her bag under the table. "Let me get that for you." The young Slayer slid her arm under the table and she retrieved the bag. "You haven't seen Care, have you?"

"No. Have you?" Bonnie tried to make her question as casual as possible while she chocked the strap of her bag between her clenched fingers. Images of Hayley, and Julian, subduing, and dragging Caroline off to be tortured entered Bonnie's mind.

"Nope." Hayley shook her head. "Which is good 'cause Julian is in town." She whispered the last part and gave Bonnie a long look.

"Yeah?" Bonnie tried to seem surprised. "Why?"

"Checking on how things are here. Just routine stuff." Hayley shrugged. "You think they'll have mac and cheese for lunch?" She headed toward the school and Bonnie forced herself to go with the younger girl.

"No idea," Bonnie replied. She wondered what else Hayley was hiding, because Julian's visit was anything but routine. Bonnie would stake her life on it.

"I need you to talk to Hayley," Bonnie informed Tyler, between third and fourth periods. With Care AWOL; Bonnie had adopted the role of leader. And Tyler was cool with that. Until now.

"What? Why me?" Tyler demanded. He so did not want to meet this Julian guy. After Kol's warning, Tyler kept having visions some mystery man, skinning Tyler's wolf-form, and making a nice, werewolf-skin, winter coat. "You should ask Matt. "Yes. Nice. Dependable. Made-out-of-human-skin, three hundred and sixty-five days of the year, Matt."

"No, Tyler. It has to be you." Bonnie's jaw was thrust out and she had that glint in her eye that said she was not screwing around.

"But -" Tyler tried anyway, but Bonnie took him by the arm and pulled him into an empty classroom.

Closing the door, Bonnie turned to Tyler. "We faced the likes of Mikael and Esther Mikaelson. And Klaus. We can survive Julian."

Bonnie's reasoning was sound. However, Tyler did not understand why Bonnie couldn't talk to Hayley. "Why can't you do it?" he blurted.

"Because she doesn't _like_ me, Ty," she retorted with an eye roll.

"Sure, she does," Tyler said with a grin.

"Not like she likes you." Bonnie stared at Tyler. Then it hit him. "She's sixteen. In a new town. _Lonely_. Use it."

Tyler shook his head. He always thought girls like Bonnie did not approve of girls being manipulated like this. But Caroline's life was on the line, again, and it looked like the wavy line of morality just got wavy-er.

"Okay." Tyler nodded. He would do this. For Care. "I'll see what I can find out."

"Thank you." Her words were spoken so quietly; Tyler had to use his supernatural hearing to pick them up.

Wordlessly, the two left the room and went to their classes. For the next three hours, Tyler's eyes were on the clock, ticking down to lunchtime. That would be the earliest time he could speak to Hayley.

When the lunch hour rolled around, Tyler entered the room and trained his senses to find Hayley. It took him a couple of minutes before he picked up her scent of pine cones and lemon shampoo. She stood toward the middle of the line, with her tray balanced on her hip and a bored look on her face. That was a good sign.

Making his way over to the line, Tyler moved to stand to Hayley's right. "Did I say: 'Great shirt' this morning?" he said quietly.

Whirling on her black boot, Hayley lit up. "Tyler!" she cried, smiling widely before glancing at her smiley face T. "I was going for ironic." She tucked her hair behind her ear and glanced up at him through her eyelashes.

Oh, boy! Yeah. She was flirting with him, hard-core. "It's great," Tyler repeated himself, his eyes going back to her shirt. He shouldn't stare too long, or she would think he was staring at her breasts, which he was.

"No cuts," a kid behind them complained, glaring at Tyler. "You jocks think you can have everything."

Before Tyler could reply, Hayley edged around Ty and stood in front of the boy. "Hi! I don't think we've met. I'm Hayley. And I'm new here," she grinned at the boy, leaning against the railing to their side and titled her head. "And you are?"

"Um...I'm...Ben?" The boy was flushed and Tyler watched him stare at Hayley.

"Ben. Well, my friend, Tyler, really needs to eat lunch and get back to his SAT Prep. 'Cause," she wiggled a finger for Ben to move closer and she lowered her voice, "he lost a scholarship. And his dad is the Mayor. And Papa Lockwood will make Ty's life hell; if Ty doesn't get in, somewhere. That's just between us. So, you would be doing Ty a favor. Say he'll _owe_ you one?" She glanced from Ben to Tyler with an innocent look.

Ben glanced at Tyler. Tyler rubbed the back of his neck and looked down. "Here." Ben held out his tray. "I have a free period, and I can get some non-perishables for lunch."

"Thanks, man." Tyler took the tray and moved into Ben's space. He leaned closer to Hayley. "You use your powers for good, right?"

Hayley chuckled. "Most of the time." They moved down the line. "Mac and cheese," she cried in delight.

"You really like that stuff, don't you?" Tyler remarked, feeling a story coming on as he watched the lunch lady place a lump that claimed to be meatloaf on his tray. He grabbed a shiny, red apple, and a whole milk on his way to the register.

"First thing I learned to make on my own. Plus, it's cheap," Hayley said on the way to an empty table.

Sitting down, Tyler tried to think of the best way to deal with the Julian situation. Hayley startled him out of his thoughts with: "Where is everyone else?"

Several seconds passed before Tyler replied, "You mean Bon...and..."

Hayley leaned over. "Matt told you all about Julian, didn't he?" She searched Tyler's face, and fell back in her seat, seemingly having lost interest in her mac and cheese.

"Yeah," Tyler admitted. "After what went down with Kol; he decided to disappear. 'Til it's safe."

Nodding, Hayley looked angry and depressed. "It's not fair," she muttered.

"What's not fair?" Tyler waited.

Hayley took a couple of bites of her mac and cheese and then pushed it away. "I make better," she grumbled at the tray. After a pause, she added, "I just got them..."

"Them?" Tyler, again, felt confused.

"Friends," Hayley said, dully. "I spent my life at Council Headquarters. Train. Read. Sleep. Don't go out. Don't listen to music. Don't watch TV. Or talk to boys. And friends... Ha!" Hayley's tone had become bitter. "Never. 'Til now." Looking up at Tyler, Hayley looked vulnerable.

"So, you must have a lot of resentment-towards Julian-for managing your life, like that. I would hate someone who did that to me." Tyler hoped he wasn't pushing her too far.

"I DON'T hate Julian!" The vehemence of Hayley's response left Tyler stunned.

Taking a moment, Tyler softened his tone, "I didn't mean to offend," he began while Hayley played with her leftovers. "It's just...if someone controlled me-that much-It would resent it..."

Looking up, Hayley folded her arms on the tabletop. "I did. But as I got older, I read up on the girls before me-you know that oldest Slayer only made it to twenty-two? And I want to go longer. I want to grow up. Maybe get married, one day. And have kids." Stopping, she said, "I at least want to go to college…" Her tone was wistful, like she already knew that all of her dreams would never come true. "And Julian, he saw something in me. He taught me to fight. He taught me to read…" Smiling, she rolled her eyes.

"What?" Tyler coaxed.

"He also taught me to waltz. He said that some vampires-like the Mikalesons-live like royalty. I would need 'social graces,' to be able to hunt them." Hayley pushed her chair back and stood up. "Want to hit the vending machines before classes?"

"Sure." Tyler rose. He didn't have to keep asking Hayley questions because he felt pretty clear already. No matter how close Hayley might be to this group: she was Julian's daughter.

Standing outside of his sixth period class, Alaric Saltzman had been texting with his doctor girlfriend, Jo, when Bonnie Bennett appeared. "Alaric, we need to talk," Bonnie hissed, glancing at the student body.

Alaric glanced at the time. There was still ten minutes between fifth and sixth periods. "Okay." Alaric shoved his phone into his jeans pocket, and then twisted the knob, allowing Bonnie in first.

Going to the teacher's desk, Alaric leaned against it, crossing his arms and ankles, waiting for Bonnie to tell him what was happening.

"Julian is in town," Bonnie announced gravely.

"Oh?" Alaric nodded. He'd been expecting something else. "Marcel called me. To give me a head's up." Pushing off the desk, he rounded the desk, and busied himself cleaning the blackboard.

"You knew?" Bonnie cried, marching over, to stand beside him.

"Yes, Bonnie. I knew." Alaric glanced at the still-closed door.

"And you did not care to impart this information on the rest of us?" Her voice had gone up an octave.

Keeping his voice low, Alaric began to write dates on the board. "Elena, Damon, and Stefan, are out-of-town. So, I'm not worried about them. And I texted Caroline. I know she would call the rest of you." Alaric did not mention that all of this fell under the Hunter-Slayer purview, and that did not include "friends of," under the heading. Right now, Caroline's friends were on a need-to-know basis. Or maybe Alaric's training was kicking in too hard. He had basically been fired. He should be telling Julian to screw himself. And Julian hadn't bothered to call, or visit; so maybe Alaric would put that on his to-do list.

"Wrong!" Bonnie snapped, reminding Alaric she was still there and his hand froze. "_Matt_ told us. _He_ saw Julian. With Hayley. At the Mystic Grill. Caroline hasn't contacted me since the time preceding the Julian appearance. Worried now?"

Opening his mouth to reply to what the witch had just said; Alaric found students coming into his classroom. "Thank you, Bonnie, for letting Jeremy know about that assignment."

Bonnie returned his forced smile. "He needs all the help he can get." She turned and made her way out of the classroom.

Returning to the blackboard, Alaric felt a pit beginning to grow in his stomach at the thought of Caroline disappearing. They just got her back. And with Julian popping up... Alaric struggled to not put the two events together, and to begin to unravel at the possibilities.

No, Alaric would get through the rest of the day. Then he would gather together Caroline's friends and try to figure out where his Slayer was.

Like most times in life, when you need the hours to pass quickly; they dragged on, and on, and on. After consulting a clock, any clock, one hundred and eighty-five times, Alaric felt relieved when the end-of-the-day bell rang.

"Remember, your papers are due tomorrow," Alaric called. He was already packing his own bag as he spoke. With any luck, none of his over-eager students would stop, to ask a question, or to suck up. There was always one of those.

And as if they read his mind, the classroom emptied out; leaving Alaric alone. He shouldered his bag and made his way to the door. No students lingered outside. Sighing in relief, he pulled out his keys and locked the door. Now, he just needed to track down Bonnie and Tyler.

Turning, Alaric cried out. He was no longer alone. "Hi, Ric!" Hayley greeted him with a grin. She'd changed since their class, earlier in the day. Wearing a tank top, sneakers, and a pair of loose jogging pants, she screamed pent-up Slayer energy. Alaric remembered his early days, with Caroline, who had the same vibe that Hayley was currently sporting. "Thought we could spar. Unless you're busy with your lady." She let out a quiet laugh, bouncing on the heels on her feet.

"Isn't that Marcel's domain?" Alaric said, pocketing his keys.

Rolling her eyes, Hayley said, "Julian's here. And he's kind of, all over Marcel. In a bad way. So, I thought...if you weren't busy..." She frowned and her shoulders drooped. "Never mind. Sorry I bothered you." She whirled on her heel and started to stride off.

"It's not a bad idea. I'm just behind in my work-work. You know what, I'm free tomorrow. I can take you to Caroline's favorite spot. Today, you could try Elijah." Alaric watched Hayley's mood brighten.

"Yeah. I could call Mr. Suit, and see if he's up for some action." Hayley's eyes went wide. "Sparring action. Not teen-and-old-fuddy-duddy-vamp-action. I am not pro-vamp getting it on with human chicks. Oh, God! Okay. No more words. Ever again. What is this town doing to me?" Hayley was muttering the latest part to herself as she hurried away.

Shaking his head, Alaric chuckled before he remembered his mission. He headed down the hallway and turned, only to run into someone else.

"Damn it! How does this keep happening?" Alaric felt his age. These kids were going to give him a heart attack. And he wasn't even thirty, yet.

"I was coming to find you," Tyler informed Alaric, seemingly oblivious to Alaric's raw nerves. "We're meeting in the library." The wolf led the way, talking the whole way, "I got held up by Jordan. He wanted to talk about a bad play we made in the last game..."

Alaric tuned out the rest of the conversation until they got to the library. "I'm telling you, man, we had them where we wanted them. And we could have won. But their linebacker got hit in the head, and they sent in an alternate. This guy was huge. I mean massive! Like a mack freakin' truck, right? And our QB does not want this guy landing on him, so he keeps fumbling the ball, and running away from passes. (Don't tell Matt I told you. He'll kill me.) That linebacker... I'm pretty sure I saw him playing for the Chicago Bears, last year. Any chance he's a vamp? 'Cause Care, or Hales, could stake him. Call it 'school spirit.'"

"Tyler, enough with the play-by-play," Bonnie called. She sat next to a computer. "I need you over here." She patted the seat to her right and in front of the computer.

Making his way over, Tyler took a seat, and Alaric moved to stand behind the werewolf. "What am I looking for?" Tyler was all business now.

"You're looking for where Julian is staying and tracking his movements." Leaning closer to Tyler, Bonnie glanced at her friend.

"Cool." Tyler muttered and Alaric watched as the boy's fingers went over the keyboard, like he'd been born attached to one. "And we're in." Tyler leaned back in his seat.

"In what?" Alaric felt confused, staring at an unfamiliar database as a list of names popped up on the screen.

Bonnie glanced up. "When someone new arrives in Mystic Falls, the mayor makes a point of spying on them. This is a list of every person who came to town, in the past fifteen years. Some of the files are massive. They track your credit card receipts or any other computerized data about you. Purchases of property, your last call for take-out, and includes anytime a camera spotted you, anywhere in Mystic Falls."

Frowning, Alaric stared at the list. "A: That is a major violation of privacy laws. B: How do you know about it? And, C: I'm on that list, aren't I?" He looked from Bonnie to Tyler.

Bonnie nodded. "Yes, to A and C. Sorry. But this could help us in the long run, and we need to know if Julian had anything to do with Caroline's disappearance." Her eyes went to the glowing computer screen.

Alaric could not argue with that logic. Tyler cut into his thoughts. "I was twelve when my dad told me to play video games, in his office. He was hitting on some woman and didn't want me in the way. I started poking around and found this database. He really needs to get better security software."

Clicking on Julian's name, Tyler brought up... Not much. They found which plane he'd used to get to Mystic Falls and when it arrived, after that; it was like he'd left the map. Nothing to do with a hotel, or apartment rental. He was probably staying with Marcel. Alaric did not include the others in this idea. Julian left no credit card receipts. So he was paying in cash. However, he did have a traveling companion, and she might still give them a lead.

With a sigh, Alaric ran a hand though his hair. "Well, that was a waste -" he said. He would try the old-fashioned way, over the weekend, without the high schoolers.

Alaric's mental planning was interrupted when Bonnie said, "Click there." She pointed at a video file from one of the camera outside of the Mystic Grill. Tyler clicked on it and they all leaned closer. "That date is yesterday. Who is that?" She pointed at the person who was not Julian. There was no audio, so they had no idea what was being said.

A couple of minutes later, the stranger turned toward the camera. "Take a screen shot and print it for me," Bonnie ordered Tyler. Soon, the printer was whirring. Bonnie left and came back. "Hello, Father," she muttered.

"Wonder what Julian needs with a priest," Tyler mused.

"Or what a priest wants with The Council." Alaric felt a headache coming on. They needed to find Caroline, now.

**I apologize for any errors. I typed this up on my phone. **

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**Be safe,**

**-J**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello, my lovely readers. We have a lot of Caroline and some Klaroline, too! On with the show...**

Chapter 12: Who Are You, Really?

Fifteen years ago Julian was brought in from the cold, literally. He'd been sent from his home in London to Cleveland, Ohio. The year he was recruited to Council Headquarters had been a particularly brutal one. Snow reached over and stood at corners in five foot piles. Unfortunately for the humans of the area, the vampires did not care about the cold or the snow. If anything, they felt a certain thrill placing their victims in a drift and seeing if they would be found by spring. They did not count Julian hunting them down while his fingers froze around his stake. After a nastier fight with one of the blood-sucking fiends, he'd been awakened to a rapping on his door and found two men st his door. "Time to go," one of them had said. And so he went, to Louisiana. The weather was warmer, outside the Council's walls.

At the time the Council was run by a man that was only known as Mr. Santino. No one knew much about other than his refusal to hear Council matters on Sunday mornings when he could be found at St. Anne's church. And that he was old. So old that no one could find a birth certificate. However, Julian suspected Old Santino threw it in his fireplace which he was wont to do with any paperwork he did not want anyone looking at.

It took a total of three years for Julian to wait out Old Santino. Of course, some of the old guard spread vicious rumors that Julian had been in the study with Santino the night he succumbed to a heart attack, but no one could prove a thing and so Julian took his rightful place at the head of The Hunter's Council.

The funeral for Santino felt like a lifetime. Afterward those who chose to stay joined Julian to celebrate his new rule and nothing could wipe the smile from his face because this was his time and he would see to it the Hunter's journals spoke of his exploits for centuries.

About Two Years Ago:

"Why do you have to go?" The wide-eyed fourteen-year-old demanded. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she pouted like a child a third of her age. "Why can't you send an emissary?"

Chuckling, Julian zipped his duffle bag, the only possession he'd kept from his time in England. The girl toed the carpet of his room with a heavy leather boot he'd given her for her birthday as she leaned into the doorframe with a sullen look. "Jealous of the new girl, are we?"

The teen's dark eyes rose to burn into Julian's. She was so full of fire and had quite the temper. Julian relished the thought of loosing his little weapon on the world of the supernatural one day.

"I. Am. Not. Jealous." She sprayed the words out between clenched teeth. Kicking off the doorframe, she strode over to plop on the side of the bed. "I just don't know why you have to leave. There are reports. Weekly."

"That you have been reading," Julian eyed his protégé with a smirk.

Eyes on the carpet, fists balled at her sides, the girl shook her head, "Am not." She might be a good liar but she could not lie to him. Not yet, anyway.

"Yes. You have. I have spies, you know." Julian laughed when her head whipped to stare at him. He picked up his bag and placed a hand on her head. "I taught you to know your enemy."

"She's not my enemy."

Rival then."

The girl slid out of his reach and headed for the door. "Good luck with your trip," she called, not turning to look at him.

"Behave for Father O'Connell for me, Hayley."

Hayley Marshall paused in the doorway and tapped her fingers on the doorframe. "Don't stay in Mystic Falls, for her, and forget about me." Her words were so quiet Julian barely heard them before she left.

"Never," Julian replied, shouldering his bag. He already had his girl, right here.

Knocking on an apartment door at just past five in the morning, Julian waited. He rocked on his heels and whistled a jaunty tune, reflexively checking the right and left sides of the hallway for movement. Never could be too careful.

When the door opened, a blurry-eyed and stubble - covered Alaric Saltzman appeared. Julian felt amused and gave Ric a wide smile of greeting. "Good morning, Saltzman!" He clapped a hand on the current hunter in charge of the current Slayer's shoulder.

Giving Ric a quick pat, Julian moved forward, forcing Alaric to step back to allow his boss passage. "I see you're still living the life of a bachelor," Julian said, making a quick assessment of the apartment and a general lack of anything feminine in the general vicinity.

"Come on in, Julian," Alaric grumbled. He closed his door and flicked the lock shut. "Make yourself at home."

Julian glanced back at Ric. "Did I come at a bad time?" His brows rose and he waited for an answer.

"Nope." Alaric shook his head. "Just let me grab some pants." He marched over to his dresser while Julian turned to examine a pair of dirty glasses on the coffee table and an empty bottle of bourbon.

"You have company over, last night?" Julian narrowed his eyes. No sign of lipstick on either glass. No lingering scent of perfume in the air. And no indenting in the extra pillow on the bed.

"A buddy of mine swung over," Alaric said, buckling his belt, and turning to face Julian with a nonchalant expression.

"'Buddy?' That you shared an entire bottle with?" Julian picked up the bottle between thumb and index finer giving it a shake in Alaric's direction. Sighing, Alaric ran a hand through his unkempt locks. "Didn't know The Council cared so much about my personal life."

"We care about everything you do. And everything you say. Because of HER. All that we do is for her benefit. She is your responsibility. And drinking yourself half to death and prattling on about all of our secrets to your mate is my business." Setting the bottle down with exaggerated gentleness; Julian stared at Alaric. "Is it not?"

Alaric folded his arms and stared at Julian. "I do not talk shop to my friends."

"Good. See to it that you do not." Julian retorted. All that worked for The Hunter's Council knew the price to be paid for endangering their secrets, and their slayers. "Also see to it that you get fresh linens on the bed." Setting his bag down, Julian stretched and yawned. "I need a nap before you take me to meet the girl."

There was a long moment of silence before Alaric responded. "Take you..." Alaric seemed wide awake now. "To Caroline?"

"Yes." Julian stared at Alaric who began to shake his head. "What is the problem, Saltzman?"

"Uh? Where do I begin?" Still shaking his head, Alaric walked into the sorry excuse for a kitchen. He began to pull out cups and a coffee canister. "You appear at my house-unannounced-then you ask to meet Caroline-still unannounced-"

"Since when did The Head of The Hunter's Council have to announce a visit with The Slayer? Hmmm?" Taking a seat on Alaric's couch, Julian crossed his legs and stared at Alaric.

Alaric closed the lid of the coffeemaker with a bang. Wincing, his hand went to side of his head. "She is only sixteen. And she lives with her mother. Her mother who has no idea that vampires exist, let alone that her daughter is put there-fighting them nightly-not at home, doing her homework, or sneaking out with her friends like any other girl her age. To her mother, I am Caroline's history teacher. So, no, Julian, we can not just show up. Since you're so worried about maintaining your secret identity."

"Are you quite finished, Alaric?" Feeling amused, Julian watched Alaric stare back at him. "I am well aware of the Slayer's current living arrangements. And I have no intention of disrupting her current life, such as it is." Pausing, he allowed that bit to sink in. "I simply wish to meet the girl. Assess her skills and how she's taking to the provided training. That is all."

Letting out a sarcastic laugh, Alaric shook his head, "That is all?" He mimicked Julian's accent poorly. "And what do you mean 'current living arrangements?"

Julian clapped his hand on his knees and stood up. Crossing the room, he moved to stand in front of Alaric. "The girl remains in your charge, and in this town, so long as I permit it. You are aware of our rules. And I assume you have gathered that this is not a social call. If she passes my assessment: I will leave you to it..." Julian watched Alaric's eyes darken and his fists ball. It would break the monotony of the visit if they were to fight. A thrill of adrenaline coursed through Julian's veins.

"And if she doesn't pass your little test..." Alaric replied, his jaw tight.

Julian smirked. If this came down to a fight-which Alaric Saltzman would obviously lose-Julian could simply take Caroline Forbes back New Orleans with him. But going through the assessment process could prove to be more interesting.

Sounds of pop music could be heard in the clearing of a woods just off someone's property. As Julian and Alaric approached, Julian's brows rose, at the sight of a tall, blond girl in black track pants and a tank top. Her back was to them and her ponytail bounced perkily as her sneaker-clad foot flew through the air in an arc. Her right palm shot out and she ducked away from the blow of an invisible assailant, her back bending as her legs rose above her. Completing the flip she landed in a crouch with a familiar look on her face: The Slayer ready to attack. Eyes narrowed, she scanned the area.

Spotting Julian and Alaric, the girl straightened with a huge smile and wrinkling nose. This was all for Alaric. Yes, as reported by his little minions, Caroline Forbes was the living, breathing epitome of the high school cheerleader. Hayley would hate this girl.

The dark though made Julian smirk as Caroline's eyes drifted to him and she placed her hands on her hips, her smile sliding into a look of confusion. "Who's the new guy?" She hooked a thumb at Julian, her eyes going from the stranger in her midst to her mentor.

Julian stepped forward and offered a hand. "Roger Connery, at your service, my lady."

"Caroline." She shook his hand, adding a little too much pressure to make it clear she wasn't a little girl and he might want to watch himself. He also noted that she omitted her surname. Smart girl. "Alaric..." Again, she looked to Alaric for answers.

"Caroline, this is an old friend from The Council. We trained together. Years ago." Alaric strode forward and stood sideways to keep both Caroline and "Roger" in his line of sight. "A hunter must always be vigilant" was their motto.

Julian watched Caroline drop her guard a fraction. That was one point against Alaric. Amongst strangers, The Slayer must always be prepared for a fight.

"Really? Cool." Caroline nodded, but her weary expression said it was not as cool as she'd made it it out to be.

Turning to Alaric, Caroline grinned. "Did you see my flip? I'm gaining speed and height." She was talking to Alaric's back and he made his way to s tree stump and the music halted.

"How many times do I have to tell you about distractions?" Alaric turned to face Caroline, iPod in hand. He waved it at the teen whose shoulders drooped.

"Music helps me train." Caroline countered. "Also knowing that a chocolate cookie was waiting for me ought be a side benefit."

"It could make you dead," Alaric replied, handing the device to Caroline with a stern look.

Julian jumped in. "Personally, I think it's clever. There can be a million types of distraction surrounding a slayer. She must be able to cut through all of it, to find her prey."

Caroline's brows rose and her lips pursed in a quizzical look. "I don't really think in terms of prey -'" she began when Julian snagged her toy and tossed it several yards away. "Hey!" She gasped before sending Julian a dark look. "That was a birthday present!"

Not replying, Julian swung his leg out, toppling the chatty teen to the pile of leaves underfoot. Caroline's eyes widened as he lifted his other foot to venture toward her facial region.

"Shit!" Caroline cried, tucking and rolling out of the path of Julian's attack. "Ric, I thought you said he was your friend!"

Alaric opened his mouth. "He's -" The Hunter was interrupted by his cell ringing. Glaring at Julian, Alaric jerked his phone out and glanced at the screen. "Sorry, Care. I've got to take this." He moved toward the edge of the clearing and kept his voice down as he spoke. So, he was keeping secrets.

"Seriously!" Caroline shouted, her head turning in Alaric's direction offering Julian an opening.

Bending down, Julian picked up a tree limb and swung it. He connected with the side of Caroline's head as she continued to stare at Alaric.

Again, Caroline dropped to the ground. And, again, Julian moved to finish the fight. He aimed the branch for her heart.

Closing her eyes, Caroline caught the branch an inch from her chest. Her eyes snapped open and Julian saw fire blazing back at him. He grinned until she lifted her feet and planted them in the center of his chest before pushing upward and causing him to shoot through the air. He connected with a nearby tree, hearing things snap and pop within his body.

Blood trickled down from the back of his head, but he pushed himself up. He'd been much closer to death than this. Jerking his pants' leg up, he removed s two foot long hunting knife. "Is that the best you can do, child?" He taunted the girl who glared back at him as he panted and waved for her to come to him.

Caroline jumped to her feet and held the branch in her hand tight enough to draw blood. She gulped at the sight of the knife. "Alaric," she called never taking her eyes off Julian. "Is this some kind of crazy test? Because I think I would prefer the oral..."

Darting forward before Alaric could respond, Julian began the dance again.

He anticipated each of Caroline's moves. After all, Slayers had used them for centuries. And no matter how good the technique was, it was outmatched by your opponent knowing each play in the game.

"Roger!" Alaric cried when Julian's blade caught Caroline's arm and she hissed in pain

"Not yet, Ric." Julian felt Caroline's left foot moving to connect with his right knee. His blade slid over her left thigh. His left palm slammed into her shoulder and he heard it make a popping sound.

Knees buckling, Caroline fell to the ground and Julian shook his head. "I heard you might be the greatest Slayer of our time. How disappointing." Tossing his knife in the air, Julian caught it and moved to plunge it toward the girl's heart. Of course, he would not kill her. It was against the rules. But he would be forced to take her training into his own hands...

Julian felt confused as he knelt above leaves and not a terrified girl. Blinking he looked around. "Up here, jackass!" Julian's head rose to take in the sight of Caroline somersault in through the tree limbs before free-falling, and landing on top of him. With an open palm, she smashed her hand into his nose several times before prying his knife from his loosening grip. She placed the blade under his chin, panting as she said: "I win!" Julian could see the thrill of victory through her mass of sweaty blond locks falling into her face.

Getting to her feet, Caroline moved to stand a few feet away and clutched Julian's knife in her hand as Julian sat up with difficulty, beginning to laugh although it made his nose burn and his ribs ache. "Is he crazy?" Caroline demanded. This time, she did not take her eyes off Julian as she spoke to Alaric. She'd learned her lesson.

Julian waved for Alaric to help him up. The latter did so with an air of reluctance. "Good show, Slayer!" Julian cried, grinning, dusting himself off.

Caroline glared in reply.

Pointing at the trees, Julian waved a finger. "That thing. With the trees. We don't teach that. And that is what a Slayer needs. To be resourceful. Do not rely on training alone. It will not get you out of every scrape." Stopping, he watched Alaric check Caroline's injuries. "She'll heal," he snapped.

"Which is more than you can say." Caroline smirked at Julian. "Which is more than you can say." Caroline stared at Julian's bloodied shirt before adding, "For an old guy, you fight well." Walking over to the tree stump where her iPod had been, she leaned over to pick up a light pink hoodie, she gritted her teeth as she pulled it over her wounded arm.

With a smile, Julien nodded. "I've been training since I was your age."

"For what?" Caroline's brows furrowed.

Julien shrugged. "I did not question it. I simply knew I would be needed, one day. Then The Council found me, and all the pieces fell into place."

Caroline nodded. "I could eat. You guys?"

Julian jumped in. "I'm ravenous." He fell into step with Alaric. "Important call?"

"My bank. They just wanted to check in and make sure I made a certain purchase."

"Go counsel them." Julian did not believe Alaric but he would let it go, for now.

"Caroline's staying here." Alaric was not asking.

"It would seem so." Julian did not add "for now."

"Roger Connery?"

"Not a James Bond fan?" Julian retorted with a grin.

Alaric's brows rose. "More of an Indiana Jones myself."

"I am not staying here!" Caroline shook her head and paced the floor of the beach house.

"It would do you little good to return," Klaus replied for the twentieth time in the past two hours. "Have some wine." He gestured to a bottle that was eighty percent red wine and twenty percent B-Positive. It sat open on a side table and as tempted as Caroline was; she would not give Klaus the satisfaction.

Stalking across the room, Caroline took hold of the bottle by the neck and tossed it into the fireplace. A small explosion occurred, flames rose around the grate blocking the fire from the wooden floor and sparks shot over the antique carpet.

"Caroline, love, I know you're upset, but don't take it out on Elijah's favorite rug." Klaus stomped out the flames and then moved to drop his hands into her shoulders.

Caroline glared at the picture-perfect view. Waves crashing against clear blue water. A younger version of Caroline would be thrilled to be here. Not this version.

Shrugging her boyfriend off, Caroline turned her back on him. "There's one antique I should be taking this out on!" she growled at him.

Ever since she woke up in a four-poster bed in The freakin' Hamptons, Caroline had been in a volatile mood and wondering why the hell her boyfriend kidnapped her this time. Most people would kill to spend a day here and Caroline would kill to get out of paradise.

Forcing down her own frustration, Caroline concentrated on Klaus. "Klaus, my friends are back there. Ric is there and probably trying to get himself killed, doing my job. Hayley-who I feel very much responsible for-is there! I have to go home!" He had to know that if it came to a fight, she would win. Which must be why he brought Freya.

To increase her annoyance, Klaus began to chuckle. "Darling, in case you are unaware: Your friends are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves."

Klaus moved to the fireplace before continuing. "Bonnie Bennett is a witch whose power has grown to surpass even my expectations. Tyler Lockwood has learned to control his wolf with little outside guidance. Damon, Elena, and Stefan are following a journey that places them out of harm's way. And as for your Hayley, impetuous as she is, Elijah has taken quite the interest in her well-being. In the strictly mentor-mentee sense. You have nothing to worry about."

Moving to stand beside Klaus, Caroline studied him. Klaus turned his head to look her in the eye with that vaguely amused expression that made her narrow her eyes. "You're not foiling anyone, Klaus," Caroline retorted.

Laughing, Klaus slid his arms around her waist. "You're right, Caroline. I should be honest with you."

"That would be refreshing." Caroline did not move a muscle to reciprocate his sudden amorous turn. If she did, he might take advantage and snap her neck, again. Then he would put her in a box, like he did with his siblings who stepped out of line.

"Our reunion was too brief. Call me selfish, but I wanted you all to myself." Klaus spun her around to face the beach. "I believe we could find ways to pass the time in this house, with this view and all of the wine I stored in the pantry." He ducked his head and began to kiss her neck. His hands slid down her arms and to her hips, pressing her into him. "Shall we make proper use of the bed?"

Caroline pondered the idea of exhausting Klaus until he fell into a semi-comatose slumber. By the time he awoke, she would be within the Virginia state limits.

The problem was that Caroline could sense something wax bothering Klaus. It came off of him in emotional waves. Too bad her demon power did not include being psychic. That would make this much easier.

Pulling back, Caroline turned to face Klaus. She kept her tone soft as she spoke to not make this worse. "Klaus, there is something bothering you; I can feel it. Literally."

Klaus' smirk faltered. "I have no idea what you're on about, love." He turned his back on her and moved to the decanter. She felt the worry and irritation rising like a wave about to crush her beneath its weight as the lust disappeared.

"Klaus, my demonic spidey-sense is tingling like crazy because your nerves are a wreck. Well, wreck-ier than usual. And that's saying something."

Caroline paused and watched Klaus glance at her while pouring himself a drink. He had his guard up again. That would make this so much harder, like most things Klaus-related. "Okay. Let me guess. It's not your mom. Or your dad. 'Cause that would be so last season," Caroline mused in a light tone. "How about Freya?" She watched Klaus stare into the bottom of his now empty tumbler. "It is Freya! That's why she's the third wheel on our so-called romantic escape. You're being all paranoid with her, again! Afraid she's up to something and you're doing your old 'Keep your enemies' closer' bit..."

Pouring himself another drink, Klaus drained it and refilled it. "Or I would like to spend time with you without worrying that one your little friends will fall down a bloody well or get a nose that only you can fix." Turning, he pointed a finger. "And perhaps not everything is about you, Caroline, and Freya is present because she needed to deal with her own concerns. And, yes, perhaps I asked her to spell us in here because that is one of the only times you have seemed to have time for me lately!"

"You were trying to kill me!" Caroline shouted back.

Pausing, Klaus nodded and let out a laugh. "True."

"And do not try to change the subject!" Caroline added.

Rolling his eyes, Klaus knocked back his third drink and went for another. Caroline sped over and took the decanter away from him. "Is this about Freya?" She searched his eyes for the answer.

Klaus set his empty glass down. "She needs to be far from Kol and the witch..." Waves of anxiety washed over Caroline as he spoke and they emanated from Klaus.

Lips pursing, Caroline felt confused. "Witch? As in Bonnie?"

Nodding, Klaus moved to take a seat on the couch. His eyes went to the window. "Kol has been making threats that may not remain idle if Freya's interest continues."

"But Freya is Bonnie's mentor. Why would that bother Kol?" Caroline came to sit beside Klaus. He gave her a long look and Caroline's eyes rounded. "Oh? Oh! Oh, my God! Freya has a thing for Bonnie. But Bonnie isn't... She doesn't... She would tell me if she thought she... Oh, boy!"

Sitting back on the couch, Caroline stared out the window. She could not believe she had not seen it before. "Bonnie...and Freya?" The two names together held a context she would never have thought of minutes ago. All the time they spent together lately. Bonnie's smiles when she talked about the older witch. The hand holding... "Bonnie's got a thing for Freya, too..."

Klaus turned to look at Caroline and she could tell he'd been way ahead of her on that topic. He tucked s curl behind her ear. "All I do, I do for a reason: to protect those I love."

Laying her head on his shoulder, Caroline closed her eyes. She felt relief wash over. It felt remarkable, like all of the tension in her body was drifting away and she could finally kick back and relax with her boyfriend. And then it hit her. The reason she felt so relaxed was Klaus' tension had dissolved replaced by a sense of pride.

"What are you so proud of?" Caroline suddenly demanded, sitting up and glaring at Klaus.

Klaus stared at her like she'd said something absurd. "Caroline, what is bothering you now?"

"What's bothering me?" Caroline laughed bitterly. "What's bothering me is your pride!"

"Never seemed to phase you before, sweetheart." Klaus smirked and Caroline shook her head. "You're still hiding something from me. You're relieved because you thought I bought your story -"

"It's true!" Klaus shot back.

"I'm aware it is. But you're still lying to me, aren't you?" Caroline saw a tiny flicker of doubt in Klaus' eyes but the sudden surge of fear that came off him told the whole story. "You are. You're lying. And you're keeping secrets!"

Getting off the couch Caroline began to pace. Finally, she glared at him. "I'm leaving. Do not try to stop me."

Klaus watched her as Caroline strode to the front door and attempted to walk out, only to find she'd been spelled in, again. "You've got to be kidding me!" she cried at the same time that she heard a car stopping. She waited until Freya appeared with a couple of bags of groceries. "You had better take down this barrier spell!" she ordered the witch.

Klaus appeared at her shoulder. "I hope you brought more wine. Caroline has begun to murder innocent, rare vintages." Klaus informed his sister as she entered the house.

"And that won't be where I stop; if you don't let me the hell out of here!" Caroline snarled.

Freya did not seem concerned by the threat. Instead, she carried the groceries into the kitchen. "I couldn't find that cheese you like Klaus, but -" She stopped talking when Caroline grabbed her arm.

"What is going on?" Caroline demanded. Suddenly she was in Freya's mind, seeing a vision of Alaric's friend, Roger Connery. She'd almost forgotten his visit to Mystic Falls.

"What does Alaric's friend have to do with this?" Caroline saw Freya glance at Klaus who turned his head to his sister.

"She'll find out eventually," Freya said. Turning to Caroline, she sighed. "He's with The Hunter's Council," she began.

Caroline frowned. "Tell me what?" She looked from Freya to Klaus. Klaus shook his head with a dark expression when Freya placed a hand on Caroline's shoulder. Suddenly, Caroline was in Freya's mind, and saw a vision of Freya talking with Kol and Rebekah. They were talking about a man named Julian and Caroline saw him through Freya's memory of an unpleasant visit to The Hunter's Council to save Kol's life.

Freya let go of Caroline and Caroline felt confused. "Ric's friend...what was his name... Robert? Ropper? Rod... No, Roger! Why was Roger Connelly in your vision? Sure, the guy is a total whack job, and not in the fun sense, but he didn't help torture Kol, did he?" She would kick his ass, again.

"Caroline, the man in my vision's name is Julian. Not Roger. And he is the Head of The Council. And he's currently in Mystic Falls." Freya's words made sense and Carine took a step back, her hands in her hair.

Shaking her head, Caroline looked from Klaus to Freya. "If he's there, I have to be, too. Everyone is in danger. They need me!"

"No!" Klaus grabbed her. "If you go, you'll place them in danger. If Julian found you, he would go through anyone who stood against him..." And, damn if he wasn't right.

Thank you for reading, faving following and reviewing. :)

**Be safe,**

**-J**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello, my lovely readers. Elijah continues training Hayley and the young Slayer begins to ask questions no one wants answered while Klaroline go out on the town. They find themselves to be the hunted. On with the show…**

Chapter 13: Did You Do Your Research?

Rain tapped against the windows of the Mystic Falls library. The sky outside was an angry mix of greys and somber blues. Most people would be at home. They would sit, curled up in a comfy chair, like a cat, a book in hand with a steaming cup of something relaxing on a nearby table. Not Hayley Marshall. On a day like today, she could feel the current of impending lightning coursing through her and it sent her instinct to fight something on hyper drive. With Caroline AWOL; it was up to Hayley to save the world from the bloodthirsty creatures roaming about. So, Hayley had gotten up before anyone else living in-or currently staying at-Marcel's to get in some training.

Today happened to be a Sunday which meant no one would be at the library to tell her to not move the furniture or to ask her where Shakespeare plays were. Did she look like a reference guide?

Upon entering the library, she had gone about the task of moving all the tables in front of the stacks to avoid accidently knocking them over and spending the night putting the books back. She tied her hair back in a ponytail and turned on her music of choice: 90's rock. It made her feel like she was Hillary Swank in one of the Karate Kid films.

Raising her balled fists, Hayley meant to begin a fight with an invisible attacker as she cocked her head to the side and cried: "Bring it!"

"Bring what, exactly?" Hayley had not been expecting company for this session. So, when Elijah Mikaelson's voice rang through the empty room at the same time that Hayley had launched herself into the air, she did not spin gracefully and land in a headstand. Instead, she landed on the floor, in a heap of tangled limbs and wanted to die of embarrassment. "Are you alright?" Elijah's questioned her.

Head rising, Hayley blew out a breath through her dark waves. "I'm good." She gave Elijah a swift nod and inched her right ankle from under her stomach and tried not to cry out in pain. Elijah offered her a hand but she shook her head. "I'm good," she grunted, again.

Elijah sighed and made his way over to her phone. "Third Eye Blind?" His brow quirked upward and Hayley placed her hands on her hips.

"Yup," Hayley retorted. "So, are you here for a reason, other than judging my musical taste?"

Turning his head to look back at her, Elijah's mouth quirked upward in the corner in that half-smile she had become familiar with.

"Yes. I thought you might want to train." Now, he made her smirk.

"You read my mind." Hayley watched as Elijah slid out of his jacket, unbuttoned and rolled up his sleeves and loosened his tie. "What is it you said earlier... Ah, yes. Bring it!" Elijah waved his fingers and Hayley grinned. She ran across the room and threw her full weight behind her left arm as if to punch Elijah in the nose before twisting in the air at the last second. Her right leg aimed for his left thigh, to knock him off his feet.

Hayley felt her sneaker connect with Elijah's knee before both his hands went under her right knee. Lifting her upward, Elijah sent Hayley flying upward in an unplanned somersault. She felt the world spinning and she meant to land on her feet when Elijah caught her by the ankles and her head came a half inch from connecting with the floor. At the speed she had been going; her neck could have snapped.

Finding herself suspended in mid-air, Hayley inhaled and exhaled. She glanced up at Elijah who stared back at her, his breathing not even heavy while she panted. "Going to put me down, now, Elijah?" She gasped, placing her palms on the floor and feeling the effects of all of her blood draining to her head.

"Of course." Elijah let go and Hayley found herself in a headstand before she flipped her body upright. Facing Elijah, she tried to pinpoint a place of weakness. Nothing stood out to her. However, Elijah did not seem to feel the same way. His hand slated outward, missing her left ear by a hair. His fingers sank into her hair, his hand curling around her head and he jerked her to him.

Hayley let out a cry as Elijah's free arm laced around her back. She'd never been this close to a vampire. Somehow she had no idea how intoxicating it could feel being this close to death. Is that why Caroline liked Klaus, because he reminded her of how quickly the fight could end?

Hayley could hear her own heart pounding in her chest as Elijah held her as in a bear trap. She felt his breath on her neck and she wanted him to bite her. Rolling her eyes and releasing her own out-of-control hormones, Hayley leaned back and head-butted Elijah. It had little effect. So, she reached down and grabbed a part of him she suspected he did not see coming. He let out a cry when she dug her fingernails in. His grip loosened and she dropped downward.

Elijah's hands came down as he jerked her back up and she grabbed them, lifting herself in the air and jumped onto his shoulders. Elijah's head came up and she kicked him in the chin. This time, he did go backwards and she vaulted herself off him. Using her new adrenaline, Hayley dropped to her feet and went running for the tables. Good thing she placed all the tables together.

Without a thought of where she was going next, Hayley ran across the tables and landed in the stacks. She made her way, little by little between the nearly full rows. She knew Elijah was around here, somewhere, but she could not hear anything but the sound of her music and the rain.

Suddenly her music stopped and silence descended. No, that was not creepy, at all. Her shoulders rose and fell as a classical music replaced her playlist. Who the hell was that? Nope. Not the time to work out that question.

Eyes flicking around the empty stacks, Hayley took slow steps forward. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

Elijah must hear the pundits of her heartbeat as she made her way along. Typical vamp. All fun and games for them. Getting to the end of the books on either side of her, she located the glowing red of the fire exit. If she left that way, the fire department would come. But Elijah would be long gone. On the other hand, Hayley's phone would still be here and they might alert the school of her weekend B&E. Then she would have to find somewhere else to train. Damn it.

A shadow whizzed by. It came from her left. He was about to enter the area she stood in. No more time to hesitate. She'd been taught to survive. She would find a new place to train.

Hayley ran for the fire exit and her hands clamped down on the chilly metal bar, about to push it in and to make her way into the rain drenched parking lot when a hand clamped around her neck. She found herself releasing the door to safety. She flew through the air and onto the carpet. Elijah turned and she saw his true face. His fangs were out and his eyes were a deep, dark abyss.

Fear tugged at her and Hayley forced herself to stand up. She ran back into the stacks. Again, Elijah appeared. This time he was in front of her. Reaching out, she grabbed a bio text and threw it into his face. His hand went out and he slapped it away like it was a mere piece of paper.

Taking more books, Hayley tossed one after the other at Elijah before she placed a hand on the empty space the books had been and jerked her self upward. She inserted her foot in the same space and climbed on top of the bookshelf. Racing across the bookshelves, Hayley had decided to go back for her phone and through the front entrance. At least this way, she would still have her training space.

About to jump onto the nearest table, Hayley found Elijah's hand around her left wrist. He twirled her back toward him. She jerked back and found herself falling. Oh, this was bound to hurt as lightening crashed to the ground just outside the windows and the building shuddered on its foundation.

The air around her seemed alive as Hayley felt herself free-falling. She closed her eyes and waited to feel the impact of the hard wood of one of the tables under her back. Maybe she would be paralyzed.

Finally, Hayley found herself colliding with something. But it was not a table. It was carpet. And she did not fall nearly as hard she expected to. Hands on her head and back absorbed a certain amount of the impact. Her eyes shot open and Hayley found that Elijah's body falling on top of her had knocked the wind out of her. His fangs were still out, and now he was breathing just as heavily as she had been.

"Elijah?" Hayley groaned. His eyes were on her neck. "Elijah!" She tried not to be as afraid as she had been minutes ago. Vamps smelled fear. It was a turn-on, or something for them. "Elijah, it's me! This is a training sess! Remember! And this has been great, but I don't think that feeding on me is part of the training process. So, maybe letting me up now?" She watched as Elijah's eyes stayed on her neck. His hands were on her waist. His nose went down to her neck and she felt him sniff her. He really was going to bite her.

Then Elijah pulled back and bit into his hand. "You're injured. Drink."

"What?" Hayley shook her head. "I'm fine." She moved to sit up and felt her ribs scream before tears welled in her eyes.

Nodding, Elijah placed his hand to her lips and Hayley found herself drinking vamp blood. Julian would have an aneurysm if he could see her doing this. Seconds later, Elijah pulled his hand away. He placed an arm around her and pulled her to her feet. "You fought well. But we still have quite a bit of work to do."

"Well, you're nothing like an ordinary vamp." Hayley stepped away from Elijah and she went over to her phone. She needed something else to do. Something to think about. "You put new tunes in my phone."

Elijah chucked. "I thought I would expand your taste."

Hayley found herself smiling before she looked out the window at the rain. "So, now what do we do?"

Elijah's answering chuckle made Hayley turn to gaze at him quizzically. "I believe this is where most humans would be feeling hungry, after a workout?"

In answer to his question, Hayley's stomach growled and she shrugged. "I guess I could eat."

"Good. I will be back momentarily." Elijah gathered his jacket and left through the front door.

Taking a seat on top of one of the tables, Hayley lifted her shirt to check the damage to her ribs. She found there was none. Usually it would have taken a day, or two, to mend, but it took minutes with Elijah's blood in her system. Hayley continued to stare at her un-bruised flesh when the door swung open again.

"Geez! That was quick." Hayley watched Elijah lift his jacket from a wooden panic basket. A small smile tugged at her lips. She wanted to tease him until she found his eyes on her. Her eyes went down to her exposed flesh. She'd forgotten to pull her top down. "Hmm," she hummed, tugging her top down and smoothing her hair, not able to look at Elijah as he came over to set the basket down.

The scent of fresh wheat bread, veggies and turkey made Hayley feel the same kind of hunger Elijah felt at the scent of her blood. She looked up to see him removing a bottle of what she thought might be orange juice and two capable flutes.

A sudden idea floated through the back of Hayley's mind. "You packed lunch? You knew I would be here!" Hayley shook her head. "Elijah Mikaelson, are you hunting me?" she demanded.

Elijah's brows rose. "No, Hayley." He held out a flute to her. "I am your mentor. I find it my obligation to know where you are, and if you are placing yourself in danger, like you do whenever you come here. You come alone. And as I showed you; any vampire who truly fights could end you. Easily."

"Wow! Really trying to bring my ego in check, are you?" Hayley took the flute and appreciated the freshly squeezed fruit drink.

With a little smirk, Elijah pulled up a chair and sat in front of her. She took a plate with a sandwich on it and felt a little weird about eating while he watched her. The weirdness dissipated as she chewed. She would give an arm for food this good.

They sat for some time with the only noises being Hayley's chewing and the sound of the rain. When she finished, she had questions for the vampire. "Do you like humans? I mean, are you capable of liking human?" She'd spent her youth reading about vampires, but finding work on The Originals had been hard to come by.

This was answered by a quiet laugh. "Yes, Hayley. I am capable of liking humans. I have even had a few human friends over the course of my life."

"Did you ever love one?" Hayley slid her right knee under her chin and waited for an answer.

Now, Elijah placed s finger to his lips. "I was charmed by a human girl. She happened to be the doppelgänger of my first love. The woman who died so that my mother might make me into the monster I am today."

"But you cared for a human...and you call yourself a monster? Did you kill her?"

"No. She turned herself into a vampire. Which is a story for another time." Elijah got up and went to the window.

Hayley thought about her reading. "You said doppelganger. Katerina Petrova? Rumor spread to The Council that she was dealing in Slayer blood. A jealous vamp killed her..."

Silence greeted Hayley's comments and she turned to find Elijah still watching the rain outside. Sliding off the tabletop, Hayley walked over to stand beside him. "That isn't what happened, is it?"

Head shaking, Elijah was incredibly still. "My father killed Katherine. He wanted to pit Nikaus, and me, against each other. So, he killed her. And he left her body in an ice machine. That is where I found her."

Hayley felt her breath catch. "I'm sorry." She shook her head and looked out at the arms, her arms going around her waist, hugging herself. "I've never loved anyone, and to have someone taken away from me like that...I would want to make whoever did it suffer..."

"He's gone now." Elijah finally looked down at Hayley. "The rain is slowing. Perhaps it is time for you to return to Marcel's, before Julian comes looking for you."

Hayley nodded. "Yeah."

Walking over to the table they'd been using, Hayley picked up her phone and slid it into her pocket. "Um. Thanks for the training." Elijah nodded. He'd gone back to staring out the window. Heading for the door, Hayley remembered something else. "Elijah, I once read that Kol made it a project to try to turn a Slayer into a vamp. But all of his experiments ended in death. Is that true?"

"Yes."

"Then how is Caroline alive?" Elijah turned to stare at Hayley. "Caroline is the strongest Slayer I have ever seen. I believe that she is unique. Perhaps this is the reason. Perhaps it is because Niklaus is not a pure vampire

..."

Hayley nodded. "Okay. Thanks." She pulled her hood up and left the library. For whatever reason, Hayley felt sure Elijah just lied to her. But why? She strode down the hall and out the front doors. A light drizzle came down as she walked across the parking lot lost in thought. Whether he wanted her to know the truth or not; Hayley would make it her mission to find out what Caroline was and how she could turn.

~0~

"Caroline, darling, can you at least pretend to be enjoying our time together?" Klaus Mikaelson watched Caroline Forbes. She stood in front of the window of the house in The Hamptons he had swept her away to. In the beginning, Klaus had been hopeful that his love would be swept away by the luxury she was unaccustomed to. They had many opportunities at hand. However, Caroline's disinterest in anything but staring out the window and pinning for her tiny town left Klaus somewhat bitter.

Grinding his teeth together, Klaus turned his back to Caroline and sped upstairs. He could hear his sister chanting in her room. Grasping the knob, he twisted it without knocking and strode inside. "Tell me that bloody fool has left that bloody town!" Klaus snarled between his teeth at Freya Mikaelson.

Freya shook her head and rose from her cross-legged position on her bed. "I am afraid that the answer to your question is: No. Julian seems to be waiting for something."

Freya made her way around the room, blowing out candles as Klaus began to fume. "It has been two bloody weeks. What on earth could he possibly be waiting for?" Klaus stared at his hands. Letting his guard down a fraction; he took a seat on the end of the bed. "I can feel Caroline slipping away from me, sister. She needs her little mates, and I seem to provide her no respite from her fear for them." He glanced at his sister before looking away. Perhaps he should go to Mystic Falls and slaughter Julian.

The thought of killing Julian made Klaus smirk. Then a dark thought rose. Perhaps an even greater fool would rise from the ranks and make their mission to destroy The Originals. Old Santino had understood the world and how things worked. Send the little Slayer's and Hunters after the nightwalkers, and more foolish of the day walkers who risked exposure through acts of cruelty that see humans look too closely onto the shadows of their world. But Old Santino knew to leave The Originals be. It was an unspoken rule. A rule Julian seemed to enjoying flouting.

Under other circumstances, Klaus would send his calling card: The current Slayer, piece by piece. Caroline would never allow him to lay a finger on the girl's precious head. Perhaps there was another way to get to Julian...

Before Klaus could find the proper punishment for the impertinent fool, Julian, Freya interrupted Klaus' train of thought. "Do you think he knows?"

"Who knows what?" Klaus said, not focusing on Freya just yet. It was on the tip of his tongue. To punish Julian he should -

"About Caroline. That she isn't dead."

All other thoughts froze. Klaus' eyes rose to meet his sister's gaze. "No." If Julian knew of Caroline's unheard of rising he would have covered the earth trying to discover her whereabouts. No, Caroline was safe. For now. And Klaus intended to keep her so.

Freya did not seem as convinced, but she did not try to argue with him. She paused and then said, "You should take her out. To a party."

Klaus' brows rose and a smirk crossed his face. "A party?"

"Yes. A party. This place is full of them, Niklaus. Take her out. Remind her that she is still a girl."

Klaus warmed to the thought. "Perhaps you are right, sister."

Disappearing back downstairs, Klaus stopped behind Caroline. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Caroline, love, how would you fancy going to a party tonight?"

Slowly, Caroline turned to face Klaus. "I thought I couldn't leave the house?"

Cupping her face, Klaus smiled. "I will ask Freya to lift the spell. And we will go to any kind of party you wish to go to." He tucked a curl behind her ear. "I need to train you to be a proper vampire."

"I don't care about being a proper vampire. I'm still a Slayer!" Caroline's eyes burned into Klaus.'

Klaus leaned down and brushed his lips against her ear. "You are not a Slayer anymore. You are something much more. You need a hand to help guide you..." He ran his mouth down her neck and ran his fingers up her inner thigh. "Won't you let me?"

"I want to go home," Caroline moaned, looking him in the eye.

"And you shall. If I have to go to Mystic Falls and tear Julian's head off of his shoulders, you will be given what you desire." Klaus leaned forward, pressing Caroline against the window and kissing her. He lifted her against the glass. "Give me a little longer, love, and I promise you, all will be well."

~0~

Caroline peered over the top of her sunglasses at the people walking in and out of shops. "How about them?" she murmured, eying a couple of twenty-somethings. Klaus could hear them discussing the merits of continuing their vacation here or in Maui.

"No challenge," Klaus replied. He continued to watch the humans as they passed when a girl's voice drew him. "Yes! It's Raven's twenty-first! YES! Harvard is beyond snore-ful! A Raven bash will be just the cleanser I need. Can't believe my parents make me go to that school anyway! Just get me an early 1970s Robert Redford with an eight figure number in his account." The girl began to laugh until she walked into a store and threw her purse at the shop girl. "Champagne, bitch!"

Klaus looked at Caroline who stood, staring inside the shop with a familiar look. "Her," Klaus said. And without another word, he and Caroline linked arms and went inside.

"Nik! I need a new dress!" Caroline cried, stomping her foot and turning to glare at him. "It's my birthday! And you can't take me to Tiffany's to make up this time!" She went over to pout at a silk gown.

With a slow smile, Klaus watched the mouthy Harvard girl look up. "Darling, you know your desires are what I live for!"

Harvard girl continued to watch them until Caroline spotted her. "Hi!" Caroline cried, moving to stand in front of the spoiled princess. "Oh, my God! Nik, look at this!" She waved for Klaus to come and join them. "Is that a real Scaggaloni handbag! I heard Misty say that they weren't even on the American market yet! Where did you get it from?"

Harvard girl barely hid her pleasure. "Daddy had it shipped from Milan. And your skirt. Is that a vintage Diane Von Furstenburg?" She reached out and fingered the skirt. "My mom had, like, a million of these when I was growing up. She had to auction off a few when she and daddy were having money issues." She rolled her eyes. "I'm Bridge!"

"Care. And this is Nik." Caroline pressed her face into Klaus' shoulder. "We're on our pre-engagement honeymoon for my birthday!"

"Really! Cause it's my BFF, Raven's big twenty-one bash! You guys should come! The band is going to be killer!" Bridge smiled so hard Klaus bet it hurt her teeth.

"We would not miss it for the world!" Caroline swore.

~0~

Champagne overflowed from a fourth an outside of a beach house - front property. Waking toward the house, Klaus could already see what could be up to a hundred people in their swim suits and designer wear grinding up a giant each other. This was a vampire's paradise.

A DJ came over their microphone. "What up, my party people! Looks like our birth-day, girl, Raven is coming out and she is looking fine!" The girl who could only be Raven came out to stand at the top of a set of side stairs. She looked down her upturned nose at everyone, ran her hands through her long black locks and then made her way down the stairs. "Yo, Raven!" The DJ called, waving.

Raven gave the DJ a wrathful look but ended it with an icy smile. Looks like the birthday girl was less than pleased. A couple of boys came up to greet her and she rolled her eyes at them, waking past and toward the pool.

"Raven! Raven!" Bridge screamed, waving both arms. She stood beside the pool in a silver bikini top and wrap skirt Klaus had decided to not compel her out of buying. Some people deserved the wrath of the fashion gods. "Raven, I brought you someone people to meet!"

"I told you to not do that anymore!" Raven snarled at Bridge as Klaus and Caroline came to join them.

"Um..." Bridge looked like she might cry and Raven turned away to find Klaus right behind her.

"Oh!" Raven's eyes widened. "Looks like someone got me a real present today," she licked her lips.

Bridge jumped in. "This is Nik. And Caroline."

Raven glanced back at Bridge like she had forgotten the other girl's presence. "You brought them?" she chuckled. "Bridge did good." Turning back, she looked Caroline over. "This party just became my fav. Who wants to go inside and have a real drink?" She held out her hands. Bridge moved to take one when Raven gave her a dark look.

Klaus and Caroline took the birthday girl's hands and allowed her to lead them inside. "Come along, Bridge. This isn't a spectator sport!" Raven shouted on her way into the house. She walked up a spiral staircase. "Vodka champ?" she inquired.

"Maybe not." Caroline spun around on her heel. She placed her hand over Bridge's mouth and looked into her eyes. "You're about to have an encounter that you never expected, but it is the best high of your life." She tugged the girl to her and slid her fangs into Bridge's neck.

Raven let out a scoff, "Okay. You guys just got totally lame. Halloween is so not my style. Find your way out when you're done with your little freakshow, Bridge!" She tried to move when Klaus held her place. "Seriously, man. I'm not looking for British Christian Grey. Get off!"

Klaus spun Raven around and took hold of her chin

"It's alright, sweetheart. You're just going to feel a slight pinch around your throat." Lowering his mouth to her flesh; Klaus bit her. He felt her stiffen for a second and then relax. Her fingers went up, digging into his hair. He found that quite annoying. Eyes going to Caroline, he saw she gripped Bridge just a little too tightly. "Caroline!" Klaus called.

Dropping Bridge to the floor, Caroline walked over to the bed and climbed across it. Arching her back, she stared at Klaus until he dropped Raven to the floor and came to join Caroline.

~0~

Feeling much better about their time in The Hamptons, Klaus ran his fingers through Caroline's curls and leaned over to kiss the top of her head. She smiled at him. Inclining her head, Caroline accepted a lingering kiss from Klaus as Bridge let out a quiet moan from the floor. Klaus got up and cupped the girl's cheek. "You were delicious, darling," he whispered in her ear. "This was the best party you've ever attended."

Raven stirred from her place feet away from her "friend." Klaus made his way over to help Raven onto the end of the bed as she pouted up at him. "My neck hurts." She blinked at Klaus.

Klaus nodded. "You dropped a vodka bottle and scratched yourself. But we took special care of you." He ran a hand along her arm and her pout turned into a wicked grin. "I remember. You're amazing," she moaned, lying down. "Let's do it again." She reached out for Caroline's ankle but Caroline seemed to be focused on something else.

"What is it, love?" Klaus stood up. Making his way over to Caroline, he stood behind her. Caroline had wrapped her arms around her middle.

Glancing at Klaus, Caroline frowned. "Disgust. Hate. I can feel it curling around me, trying to choke the life out of me. It's so intense. I've never felt anything like this."

"Probably just one of the celebrities. They're always campaigning about something: animal cruelty, save the planet, my new indie film. Blah. Blah. Blah!" Raven moaned. "It's my birthday and no one is liking my neck!" she rolled on the bed and pouted, again.

"Caroline?" Klaus whispered. Then he spotted a pair of men talking to a woman who might be Raven's mother. She began to lead them to the house. Klaus narrowed his eyes and perked his ears up over the drunken young people and their awful taste in music. "CDC. They have the virus that must be contained. Sorry. Raven will need to be taken in as well."

"Klaus?" Caroline shot him an uncertain look.

"They're with The Council!" Klaus turned back to the humans. "Dead girls tell no tales." He moved to end them when Caroline moved in front of him.

"No!" Caroline said

"If they're after me; I will deal with it. Right now, we're going!" Caroline took Klaus' hand. She pulled a sliding glass door open and tugged him out. They could hear three sets of footsteps on their way up. Caroline and Klaus mounted the railing and jumped.

They landed with two, soft thus on the sand below. Walking through the party, they disappeared into the night. Klaus just hoped that leaving loose ends did not come back to haunt them. And his sister's words rang in his ears. "Do you think he knows?" Now, Klaus felt quite certain that someone did know that Caroline had returned and no one would be able to help whoever spoke against Caroline when Klaus found out who they were...

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.**

**Be safe,**

**-J **


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello, my lovely readers. We finally get to find out what Damon, Elena, and Stefan have been up to. Caroline and Freya go on a road trip, leading to answers for Care. On with the show… **

Ch. 14 That Makes Total Sense...

"It is Day Thirteen in our journey around the Southern United States!" Damon Salvatore proclaimed to an audience of two disgruntled passengers in his Camaro. Elena Gilbert and Stefan Salvatore let out synchronized groans. "When we last saw #Team Vamp-ire; they had just started their cross-country journey to track down the elusive Sulking Teenager Gone Raging Psycho Vampire Hunter-"

"Damon!" Stefan reached out from the backseat to smack Damon on the shoulder. "Would you cut it out?" Stefan complained, falling back in his seat. "This is not some twisted spin-off of the Amazing Race!"

"But think of the ratings, Stef! CBS never looked this good." Running a hand through his hair, he smirked at his own reflection before glancing at Elena. She had her head turned, so he could not see her expression. Deciding to focus on his little brother, Damon waved a hand and continued, "I am just trying to lighten the mood. You're all pouty, 'cause Blondie still wants to be with The King of the Hybrid Jackasses!"

"Damon, leave him alone!" Elena snapped, twisting on her seat to glare at her boyfriend.

"And you, Cranky Pants. You're pissed off 'cause 'lil bro decided to become the Vampire Terminator. Don't worry, he'll be back." Damon turned to look at Elena and she had not even cracked the tiniest smile. Slapping the steering wheel, Damon rolled his eyes. "You're both looking at this all wrong. See, what we should be doing is trying to figure out how to make the bad things work for us-"

"You sound like Katherine!" Stefan interjected.

Damon narrowed his eyes and gave Stefan a wordless look. Stefan did not have to see how their ex met her final moment.

Leaning forward, Stefan's expression lightened. "Tell us, oh, Wise One, how do we change our perspective and turn our frowns upside down?"

Damon ignored the snark. "Look at this as the opportunity of a lifetime. You see, you want Caroline. Jeremy wants to kill vampires. Who is a big, bad vampire who caused my girl to turn into a vampire: Klaus freakin' Mikaelson! So, we find Jer, wait until he does want to kill and send him Klaus' way."

"Problem," Elena twisted in her seat to glare at Damon. "When Klaus rips my brother's heart out and feeds it to me!"

Damon opened his mouth to reply, but Stefan jumped in. "Or he finds out who was behind this plan to end him and he rips your legs off and bests you with them."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Jer's gonna go for Klaus, at some point. Klaus is the Big Bad and that is who Jer there thinks he's supposed to hunt."

"Except for one thing," Stefan said, "Klaus is not the biggest bad there is..."

"Caroline is!" Elena cried and placed her hands over her face. "And Caroline won't kill Jeremy. But Klaus will, if Jeremy comes after Caroline."

Stefan added, "Right now, Jeremy is just like a baby vamp. He's acting on raw instinct. He'll try to kill all of us because all he sees is those with fangs and those without them."

"It could take a while for Jeremy to become reasonable, again," Elena seemed to be talking to herself as she stared out the windshield.

"Or as reasonable as Jer Bear ever gets." This comment earned Damon another glare from his girl.

Not replying to Damon's comment, Elena removed her phone from her pocket and stared at the screen. Damon's eyes ticked down to see what she was looking at. He didn't see anything that should elicit a long sigh and she shoved the device back into her pocket. "Expecting him to call and say: Sorry?"

"No." Elena shrugged, resting her head on her hand, pressing her elbow into the passenger seat door. "I texted Rebekah. I thought... I thought she might want to meet us. Try to help straighten Jeremy out..."

A sarcastic laugh erupted from Damon before he could smother it. Elena's eyes widened and she stared at him. "You, seriously, expected Rebekah Mikaelson to put her ass on the line for your brother."

"Damon..." Stefan's voice had a warning tone.

"No, Stefan, let him keep going. I want to know what Damon has to say." Elena crossed her arms over her chest.

Rolling his eyes, Damon shrugged. "If I were Rebekah, I would be on a deserted island, sipping Mai-tais, not getting staked by her high school boy toy."

"Jeremy loves Rebekah!"" Elena snapped.

Damon scoffed. "They wanted to get freaky. They did. And they called it love. Rebekah might have lived for a bijillion years, but she's just as much of a horny teen as Jer and they proved it. Minute he gets a membership to I want to Kill Vampires Monthly; he's ready to plunge a piece of wood through his girl's heart."

"So, you're saying they're a lost cause?" Elena demanded, her voice rising. "That we can't be happy, again?"

Nodding, Damon waved one hand in the air. "Yes! Elen-a! I am saying that we were all living in some twisted fairy tale. Or did you think this would end with you and me, Jer and Bex, Bonnie and Kol and whoever the hell Caroline and Stefan end up with, going to prom and dancing the night away? That's NOT real! Here's reality: Jer kills some of us, or all of us, or he dies! And then there's that kid Slayer, and there are, like, a dozen question marks over her head where she ends up teaming up with Little Gilbert and then we can all run away from them, like Klaus did from his daddy for a thousand freakin' years!"

A soft whimper came from Elena's side of the car and then the passenger side door was knocked open. Eyes going wide, Damon found Elena had had already thrown herself out of the still-moving car.

"Quick stop!" Damon shouted, spinning the wheel and lurching onto the side of the road before slamming his right foot on the brake. Stefan had, apparently, not been listening because he fell into the passenger seat, feet resting where his head should be and head somewhere near where Elena's feet had been.

"Sorry, baby bro. Got to go find Lena." Damon shoved his door own and looked around for Elena while Stefan muttered and cursed Damon's existence.

Scanning the area, Damon's fingers tapped on the roof until he saw Elena walked along the side of the road. She'd only gotten about a half-mile ahead of him. Not giving a damn about exposure at this point, Damon sped down the roadside and stopped in front of Elena.

Hands going outward, Damon gripped Elena's shoulders. "What do you want me to say? You want me to say that life is made of rainbows and kitty cats?"

Elena refused to look him in the eye. Her eyes bore into a spot in his chest. "Let me go, Damon," she ground out between clenched teeth.

"Can't do that." Damon refused to budge.

"He's my brother!" Elena cried, eyes rising to meet Damon's. If he weren't a vampire, her look might give him pause, but he loved her, and he refused to let her go off and do something stupid, like get herself killed. "Let me go!" She gave him a hard shove. She still had her baby vamp strength and the force of her thrust made him stumble backwards.

Darting back, Damon grabbed her, again. "He's my responsibility!" Elena shouted, pushing Damon, hard enough to knock him on his ass and into the dirt. He got up and grabbed her a third time.

By this time Stefan had joined them and he moved to grab Elena from behind but Damon shook his head. "I know..."

"All he has is me!" Elena cried, pummeling his chest. "I...I have to... Please, Damon...please..." Sobbing, Elena buried her face in his chest, her knees buckling beneath her. "He's NOT...not a monster...he needs our help..."

"I know... I know..." Damon rocked her back and forth until Elena calmed down. "Come on." Damon half-carried Elena back to the car and helped her inside. He felt grateful when she went to sleep. As soon as he felt sure she would not try to run off, again, he glanced at Stefan. "Find anything?"

There was a pause before Stefan pulled out his phone. He leaned forward so Damon could see the silent alerts his brother had been getting on their way. "Looks like a couple was saved from a 'rabid dog.' Two towns over." They exchanged a look. "Neither were able to describe the person who saved them."

"Or they were asked not to. And who wouldn't protect the identity of a hero..." Damon smirked and Stefan nodded. Looks like they had new lead on where Jeremy was.

~0~

Elena slept through the car ride. Scared she might try to take off, Damon sat in the car with her as Stefan talked to an attendant in a service station just outside Pensacola, Florida. She stirred, eyelids squeezing shut before she yawned and stretched. "Damon, where are we?" She groaned, eyes on him before rolling in the seat as Stefan approached.

"Just stopped to get some snacks. I told Stef you would want a Sprite. That cool?" Damon said, looking from the back of Elena's head to Stefan. His brother's shoulders were sloped. Either he didn't get anything, or he had news that made no one in the car happy.

Opening the back door, Stefan slid inside and held out a bag. "Snack?"

With a sigh, Elena took the bag and peered inside. "No Sprite?"

"Sorry. They only had Coke. Guy said they might have Sprite in New Orleans." Stefan gave Damon a long look.

Frowning, Elena pulled out a Coke and uncapped it. "Who would go all the way to New Orleans to get a soft drink?" She took a sip and then pulled put a package of chips.

"Depends on how bad you wanted the drink..." Stefan mused and Damon gave him a dark look in the rearview mirror. They'd been over this. Elena might want Jer back, and be willing to risk life and limb, but Damon was unwilling to risk her. If Jeremy was headed to New Orleans, he must be trying to get to The Council. This would mean certain death for any vamp who stood between those two forces.

"Stef, I'm gonna stretch my legs..." Damon pushed his door open and jerked his car keys out of the ignition, just Iin case Elena got any cute ideas.

Walking away from the car, Damon hissed out: "What the hell, man! I thought you were on my side!"

Folding his arms over his chest, Stefan stared back at Damon. "I think this should be Elena's choice."

"Bull!" Damon snapped, running a hand through his hair. "You just want to play hero. And since Caroline isn't here to impress, you've got to prove to someone you're a good guy!"

Stefan narrowed his eyes. "Unlike some people, I am not interested in chasing my brother's girl. We dealt with that-long ago-"

"Good. Then why don't you look up Rebekah. Hear she's single."

"I would do it for you!" Stefan snapped. "That's why I was pushing for this! Okay! I get where Elena is coming from! She just wants to get her brother back. And I would walk through hell for you." Stefan and Damon glared at each other for a long moment.

Groaning, Damon turned to look at the car. And he found Elena standing behind him. "You found him?" Her question was more of a statement.

Damon could feel his brother's eyes on him. "Maybe..."

"Where is he?"

"New Orleans." Damon watched as the words washed over Elena and the meaning of the town's name sank into her mind. "He's going to The Hunter's Council?"

"Probably." Damon refused to commit to the idea. "Lights are going down. Means that this is vamp play time-anywhere-but NOLA. See, when the sun goes down in that town, the hunters go a-hunting, and Lord help the vamps who went out for a bite. Only the very arrogant, or the very young, go out at night in New Orleans. They usually find themselves with an appointment at sunrise. And those are the lucky ones..."

Elena did not speak at first. "I know what The Council did to you... I won't ask you to come-"

"And you think you're going without me?" Damon smirked. "I'm not be a baby vamp, but there are plenty who call me arrogant." He raised his hand and twirled his car keys. "Whose up for a trip to the Big Easy?"

A smile appeared on Elena's face for the first time in three days and she threw her arms around Damon's neck, kissing him. "Thank you."

Damon shrugged. "Thank me when we don't end up being something that rhymes with roast." He headed toward his car with his arm wrapped around Elena's shoulders, hoping he wasn't making a terrible mistake.

~0~

They arrived in New Orleans three hours after sundown. Not happy about it, but sure it needed to be done, Damon ditched his car at the town limits and they walked through the streets. Tourists. Just a guy. His girl. And his brother. They were trying to find a teenage runaway. Happened all the time.

Entering a bar, Damon broke away and sauntered up to stand beside a stool. He eyed the back of the female bartender and smirked. This would be the easy part. When she turned, he offered her a grin. "Can I get a bourbon..." He leaned closer, peering at her name tag, "Jane-Anne?" He let her name come out slowly.

Jane-Anne's dark eyebrows rose. Her eyes twinkled with amusement. "I.D.?"

Smirking, Damon pulled out his wallet and placed it on the bar top. She took a quick look and then went about pouring his drink. Sitting it down, she pushed it towards him. "I'm looking for a kid who might have come in here. He's about yey-tall," Damon held his hand above his own head several inches. "Looks like her," he hooked a thumb at Elena. "Just not as pretty and got one hell of an attitude problem."

Jane-Anne nodded. Placing her elbow on the counter and cupping her chin. "So, he looks like your girl and he's missing?"

"Yup." Damon stared at Jane-Anne's lips, waiting for her to tell him what he needed to know.

Pouting, Jane-Anne shook her head. "I've got nothing. Sorry." Standing up, she smiled and Damon felt she was not sorry as he pocketed his wallet.

With a frown, Damon sat down and knocked back his drink. He set it down, about to get up to give Elena the news when Elena marched over to the bar and hopped onto a stool. She leaned over the bar. "Hi! Can I get a drink?" she called to Jane-Anne.

Jane-Anne looked from Elena to Damon. "I'll tell you what I told Prince Not-So-Charming; I don't know anything."

Elena turned to glare at Damon. "See! This is why I told you to let me handle it! Some men just think that all they have to do is flutter their lashes and girls will just swoon." Rolling her eyes, Elena looked back at Jane-Anne. "Just between us, he's a bit of a dick!" She said it behind her hand but Damon heard her, loud and clear.

"You can do better." Grabbing a couple of bottles, Jane-Anne poured Elena a whiskey and Coke. "You can do better," she advised Elena before pouring herself a drink. "This is on the house." They clinked glasses and kicked their drinks back.

Damon leaned over and snagged a bottle while Jane-Anne and Elena got acquainted. Coming to take a seat next to Damon, Stefan grabbed Damon's glass as Damon drank straight from the bottle.

"You know, he got one thing right..." Elena ran a hand through her long locks, her expression turning sad as she sipped a fourth drink.

"Yeah?" Jane-Anne watched Elena.

"My brother. My baby brother. He took off. He's been depressed, since our parents died...and I think he might be in trouble. Really dangerous trouble. And I just want to bring him home..." Looking up, Elena placed her face in her hands.

"Hey! Hey! I get it. My sister...and my niece. There were some people they got involved with. And I lost them both..." Jane-Anne placed a hand on Elena's hand. "Do you have a pic?"

Nodding, Elena pulled out her phone and slid her finger over the screen. She turned it for Jane-Anne to blink at. Jane-Anne shook her head. "No. I would remember someone who looked like that." She smiled at Elena. "Here. Let me give you my number. I'll call you if I see him, or if anyone in my circle does. And you could come in. We make food, not just serve booze in here. I've been told I'm one hell of a cook."

"Yeah?" Elena tucked her hair behind her ear and then she patted Jane-Anne's hand. "Thank you. And I'm sure I'll see you again."

Damon got up and Stefan placed a bill on the counter. They left the bar and went down the sidewalk. Damon paused to pretend to be fixing his hair when Elena joined them. "Looks like someone has a new admirer while Stefan remains Mr. Bachelor of the Month." He smirked at Stefan, who heaved a much-aggrieved sigh.

Elena, on the other hand, was smiling. "At least I know I have options," she retorted.

I'll show you options!" Damon slung an arm around her shoulders and tugged her into a deep kiss.

Head titled back, Elena said, "I think I'll keep you...for a while..."

The trio began to laugh as they walked down the sidewalk. "It looks like we have to find some place to lay our weary heads for the night," Damon muttered, catching sight of Hunter's Council members patrolling in. He leaned over to nuzzle Elena's hair while Stefan stared at his phone. Yes, nothing like spending the night in a town full of people who wanted to place their heads on their gate. Damon just hoped Caroline was faring better. Honestly, he missed his friend and hoped she stayed the hell away from The Council.

~0~

"We tried things your way. Now, we're going to do them mine." Caroline zipped up her bag and heaved the strap over her shoulder. She could feel Klaus' hooded gaze on her as she strode down the hallway and towards the elevator.

After their near-encounter with The Hunter's Council's minions, Caroline and Klaus had fled to New York. She'd always wanted to come here, but she did not intend on spending the next decade here. She was going home. Today.

"Oh, Nik! Let her go!" Rebekah laid draped across a chair, flicking through a magazine and looked as bored as Caroline. The Original sister was. "She's been packed and ready, for days." Her blue eyes met Caroline's with a half-smirk.

Kol came down the hallway with a second bag. Caroline's brows went up. She did not expect Kol to want to join her on the trip back. He'd been in a horrible mood since Caroline, Klaus, and Freya showed up. Before Caroline could say: "Ready to go home," Kol turned to smile at her in a manner that Caroline imagined he did toward victims-and then tore their throat out.

Clapping his hands together, Kol said, "Take Freya with you. Nik, Bekah and I will be right behind you."

Freya had just come out of the kitchen. "Where am I going, brother?" she asked Kol, her tone unperturbed, but curious.

"He wants you to go with Caroline. Probably hoping you'll run into trouble." Rebekah flipped another page and did not look up.

Freya continued to stare at Kol. "Now, Bekah, you know I relish a good fight."

Rebekah smirked. "Don't we all."

"Caroline, a word..." Klaus took Caroline by the arm and pulled her back down the hallway.

"You're not talking me out of leaving," Caroline began when Klaus pressed his lips to hers. He pushed her back, and into the wall behind them. His hands went up and down her back. "I will be right behind you, love." He pulled back to look her in the eye. "And I have no doubt Freya is more than suited to the task of getting the two of you out of any scrap you find yourselves in."

Caroline smiled. "I love you, Klaus Mikaelson."

"I love you, too." Klaus took several steps back and leaned into the opposite wall. "Now, go, before I change my mind and try to keep you."

Nodding, Caroline strode back down the hall and stood by the elevator. "Don't get killed," she said, as a form of saying good-bye. She knew Klaus could hear her.

Freya grabbed her bag, too. "We'll be together, again, shortly," she told her siblings. Inclining her head, Rebekah nodded. Kol folded his arms over his chest. Turning to Caroline, Freya smiled. "Ready?"

"Yes." Caroline nodded. Part of her wanted to wait until Klaus was ready, but that could take a century and Caroline couldn't wait that long. She just had to hope that he did not get caught by The Council.

~0~

Two hours into their road trip, Caroline realized that she really did not know Freya Mikaelson. Like she really, really did not know the witch. Racking her brains, Caroline tried to think of something to say. Maybe Freya was one of those people who liked to sit in silence. However, Caroline was not. The silence was driving her nuts.

Topics to talk to Freya about... Klaus? No. Caroline did not want to talk about him. It would just make her miss him more. Witchcraft which Caroline did not know much about. Hmm. Could be interesting... Also might lead to Bonnie. Which would lead to Caroline wondering-possibly aloud-what Freya's intentions towards her friend were... This would lead to Kol...and many, many bad things... Rebekah? Elijah? How Freya grew up outside the family? Could be a sore subject... This was leading nowhere quick...

Then Caroline had a moment of inspiration. She had a problem. And Freya might know something about it. Or not. It still wouldn't hurt to ask. Caroline hoped it wouldn't.

"So, Freya..." Caroline saw Freya glance at Caroline with an expectant look. "Um..." Why did this have to be difficult?

"Yes, Caroline?"

"I..." Caroline rolled her eyes. Might as well just spit it out. "Do you know anything about demons?"

"Demons?" Freya looked amused. "You aren't asking about the mythical creatures, who work for Satan, and have horns and tails? Or do you mean the creatures that vampires are said to have evolved from?"

Caroline pursed her lips. "Either... I guess..."

Freya chuckled. "Well, for one thing: Vampires did not come from demons." Caroline felt relieved but also confused. This did not help her figure out why she could become a vamp because of her demon-y bits. Continuing, Freya added, "Actually, witches evolved from demons. And vampires, as well as werewolves, were created by witches."

"Wait!" Caroline turned to face Freya. "Witches are demons?"

"Only part." Freya grinned. "If you don't mind taking a side-trip, I have a friend who happens to be a demonology expert. He'll be able to answer your questions better than I can."

"Really?" Caroline tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth. She wanted to get home. But she also wanted answers to what she was. "Okay."

~0~

Welcome to Hershey, the sign read. "Huh? Producers of chocolate and demonology experts. So many reasons to visit." Caroline mused as Freya drove them through town. It only took another ten minutes before they arrived in front of what looked like a library.

Quirking an eyebrow, Caroline shot Freya a questioning look as the witch hopped out of the driver's side of the rental car. "He works for a library?" Caroline called as she moved to join Freya on the sidewalk.

"Works for?" Freya let out a soft laugh. "No!" She shook her head. "This is his library. The library of demonology. Of course, you can find plenty of books the ordinary reader might enjoy. That is for show."

They stepped inside the library and Caroline expected some kind of illusion to drop. It did not. Instead, she found a bespectacled woman at the front desk. Stacks upon, stacks of books behind her. The windows were stained glass but had pictures of flowers, not things that would keep small children up at night. A single spiral staircase seemed to be the only thing leading to the floors above, and from what Caroline could gather while outside, there must be room for at least two more stories to this place. They might also have a basement, but she could not see anything that would lead to one.

Without a word to the woman at the desk, Freya headed for the staircase to their right. The woman did not look up from her book as Caroline followed Freya. It was as if she did not see them and Caroline wondered if that were true as she peered down at the woman.

On the second floor, Freya stepped off the staircase although it seemed to lead ever upward. Not wanting to anger whatever, or whoever was upstairs; Caroline followed. The witch stopped in front of a door. The door was in the very back of the stacks and Caroline had an eerie sense, like the stacks were leading further and further away from the only exit.

A buzz sounded, and then a voice. "Hello?" it called.

"It's me." That was all Freya said. Seconds later, the door let out a longer buzz and a man in a tweed jacket and glasses came out. He was taller than Klaus. He wore his dark blonde hair short. He looked young. No more than twenty-five. And there was a sparkle in his eyes as he looked at Freya, the beginnings of a grin on his face when Freya leapt into his arms. Their mouths met and Caroline blushed. That kind of a friend...

"Freya, you should have called," the man said as he set her on her feet. "I haven't been keeping the apartment as clean as you like it. You know, busy, busy-"

"I came because my friend has a question about demons," Freya cut in.

"Ah. Not a social call." He nodded.

"Afraid not." Freya looked to Caroline, and so did the mystery man.

Caroline offered them a weak smile. Turning toward her friend, Freya added, "She'd like to know about demons."

The man's eyes lit up and a wide smile appeared. "You've come to the expert-"

"She knows," Freya said.

"Did you know that the last demons to walk the earth were seen a mere thousand years ago?" the man said, his voice grew distant as he entered the stacks.

"No! I didn't!" Caroline called back. Listening for the sounds of his footsteps, Caroline could hear an echo through the place he had gone.

"And those demons were the descendants of pure-bred demons." His voice came from behind Caroline who whirled around to face him. She automatically fell into Slayer pose.

The man frowned, hugging several books he held. "She's a Slayer?" His eyes went to Freya. A deep frown matched his features. "Oh, no. This conversation is over. Please, leave." He held up his hand and Caroline felt herself being pushed toward the staircase which was much closer, now.

"She's in trouble! The C poo uncollected is hunting her!" Freya shouted.

The invisible fingers that had Caroline by the throat loosened and she fell to her knees, coughing. "Why?" he asked. "Did she kill a human?"

"The more you know..." Freya did not finish her sentence as Caroline got to her feet and turned to face them.

"Look, Mr..." The man did not look at her. He walked over to set his books down. His expression was troubled. "I need help. I'm a vampire."

"Impossible," the man's head lifted and he examined Caroline and shook his head. "No. Vampires have tried. But it never worked. You must be something else."

Caroline sped over to take him by the throat, bending him over the table and showing him her fangs. Instead of looking afraid, he looked curious, and excited. "You're a vampire." He began to laugh. "A first of your species. How?"

"Not important. I just want to know about demons. See, I gave you a glimpse at something you thought you'd never see; now, it's my turn."

Caroline moved back so Freya's friend could sit up. He seemed happy. Picking up a book, he held it up to her. "This is an introduction to demons." He tapped the cover of the one below. "This one is a brief history of how witches evolved from Demons with a capital D. Under it is how demon-y kind was destroyed. And underneath that is another-brief-text on how The Hunter's Council was formed to eradicate all demons."

"The Council?" Caroline's eyes rounded. "That's why they were formed?"

"Yes. Of course. You see, Demons were born before mankind. They had gifts: telekinesis, fire-breathing, empathy, to name a few-"

"There were dragons?" Caroline glanced at Freya.

"No! No!" Waving his hands, the man rolled his eyes. "I wish I had a board to write on. Oh, well. Where was I... Oh, yes! Dragons are myth. Not myth like our Demons; they simply do not exist."

Caroline did not point out the irony behind his comment. Until a couple of minutes ago, he thought she did not either.

"Demons," the demonology expert continued with relish, "lived like most human do. Not as in having jobs with pay and houses and dogs. However, there were good and bad demons. When humans evolved, some demons were curious. Some welcomed a new species, not going so far as to encourage inter-breading-for fear of what the product would be-but they did not learn to fear humans until later. Humans, on the other hand, seemed to understand that demons were stranger than they were. This made demons a threat. And, so, over centuries, it became politically expedient to "demonize" the demons, as humans have done to other humans throughout history, also space aliens. But that is for another time."

"So, it was political?"

"Yes. You might be surprised how many people find political power within religion. It became popular to brand this 'evil' and this 'good.' In fact, many religions have some form of demons that we can place blame on for any type of horror we would like to. And, yes, there were bad demons. Ruthless monsters who enjoyed inflicting pain upon others. Some of those demons contributed to the myths written about the entirety of demon-kind, or even wrote them themselves, just for fun."

Feeling overwhelmed, Caroline looked at the stacks of books. "So, The Hunter's Council got involved..."

"Through the Catholic church. Hey! I do not religion-bash!" Holding up his hands, he waved them. "You can pray, if that's your thing. Confession may very well be good for a soul. But this is history. Certain people entered that religion for the sole purpose of taking down demons and they found like-minded in those who became what we know as The Council."

A beep sounded and the man looked at his watch. "Well, it looks like I have to get back to writing my paper on The Modern Day Witch." He winked at Freya. "It was nice meeting you."

"Bye." Caroline opened one of the books before her.

"Good luck with the paper, Kai." Freya took a seat beside Caroline. "I hope that helped. He gets rather excited about his work."

"It did." Caroline did not mention that it also scared her. Because if demons were thought to be dead; what would The Council do when they found they were not?

**Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. **

**-J**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello, my lovely readers. Caroline returns to Mystic Falls, and her friends, while Kol tests Bonnie's loyalty to him. On with the show...**

Chapter 15: The Rumors of My Death Are Greatly Exaggerated

There had to be a plan. Caroline Forbes had spent a good portion of the ride back to Mystic Falls, working through the kinks of said plan. Or, she meant to work through the kinks. People, in general, are unpredictable. There were too many unknown variables to create a plan that would suit all scenarios. And any of these unknowns could ruin the entire plan. However, Caroline had faith-which felt ironic given what she'd just learned about what she is. She had faith in herself. She would fight-to her last breath, if necessary-to survive what was to come, and to save her loved ones. She just hoped they felt the same way about her...

Pushing the double doors of the Mystic Falls High library open; Caroline marched toward with a smile. With any luck, her friends missed half as much as she missed them, and she missed them, a lot. Turning the corner, she took in the sight of her little group. Alaric stood, with a book open in one hand. His eyes drifted over a page. Tyler's face was lit by the glow of a laptop as he typed away at one of the tables. Bonnie was sitting, cross-legged, less than a foot to Tyler's left. The witch seemed to be meditating. Probably something she picked up from Freya. And Hayley sat on the counter, wolfing down some kind of bar. Smelled like granola.

"Did anyone miss me?" Caroline called as Hayley glanced her way. Bonnie's eyes popped open, a small smile appearing on her lips, her green eyes sparkling. Alaric dropped his book while Tyler jumped to his feet.

"Caroline!" Alaric moved to step over the book while Bonnie eased herself off the table and Tyler pushed his chair back. It was a race to get to Caroline. But Hayley beat all of them. Leaping off the counter, the younger slayer threw her arms around a shocked Caroline. Caroline stated at Bonnie with wide eyes, patting Hayley on the back.

Seconds after Hayley's unexpected greeting, the baby slayer edged back. Her head was down. Her dark waves fell over her face, covering her expression until she brushed them back and raised her eyes to meet Caroline's. Hayley was not smiling as she stated at Caroline. Caroline thought she even saw a hint of anger in the girl's round eyes. "I thought you weren't coming back..." Hayley's tone had more than a little reproach in it. Yup. The kid was unhappy with Caroline's disappearing act.

"Well, I'm back now." Caroline beamed and the side of Hayley's mouth jerked upward into a half-smile, but there was still some distrust there. Looked like the girl did not take abandonment well. Good to know.

Hayley hopped back on the counter, and attacked what was left of her granola bar, chewing it with vigor. This gave Bonnie an opportunity to come forward. She stopped a few inches from Caroline. The witch's eyes moved over Caroline, apparently assessing Caroline for injury. "You're okay?" Bonnie's tone was quiet.

"I'm okay. Promise." Caroline held put her arms and Bonnie crossed the space, hugging Caroline. Caroline felt happy. She hated being away from Bonnie this long. One day, their paths might move in separate directions, but until that day, Caroline liked to think they were inseparable.

Caroline was the first to pull back. "You're okay, too?" She meant in a non-physical harm coming to a person kind of way. "Nothing crazy happened while I was gone?" One of Caroline's worst nightmare had been that The Council would show up and begin to badger her friends. Thankfully, Kol, and Freya, had been out-of-town, which limited the types of chaos that could rain down on Bonnie's head.

Bonnie shook her head, smiling. "No. Everything has been shockingly quiet on our end. Sure, we had to stake a few vamps. Well, Hayley had to stake a few vamps. But we were there. Not getting tossed around like bowling pins." Bonnie shook her head slowly and Caroline laughed before Bonnie grinned. It took them a a moment to become serious again. "Nothing unusual happened, here." Something about the way Bonnie said these words made the little hairs on the back of Caroline's neck rise. "Nothing unusual?" Uh-huh?

Before Caroline could question what Bonnie was trying to convey, the witch turned away and pulled out a chair at a nearby table. She took a seat and stared at Alaric who seemed to be lost in thought. This left an opening for Tyler to march over and grab Caroline. He lifted her off her feet, causing her to laugh. "Care, we missed you!" he said, shaking her before setting her back down.

"I missed you, too." Caroline patted Tyler on the arm.

"You didn't call! You didn't write!" Tyler gave Caroline a mock-angry look, shaking his head and crossed his arms over his chest. We thought you might be livin' it up in some exciting town, leaving us, here, with Ric for protection!" He hooked a thumb at Alaric and rolled his brown eyes.

"Hey!" The history teacher came to and narrowed his eyes at the back of the wolf's head. "I am full of excitement and danger-defeating daring do!" He raised an index finger, trying to look heroic, and coming off as comical instead.

A scoff could be heard from Bonnie's chair. "Excitement?" she called. "Last time I need help with something, I found you asleep at your desk with a cup of decaf coffee." She exchanged knowing looks with Tyler.

Placing his hands on his hips, Alaric looked insulted. "I'm still in the slaying game." He paused and then added, "Just last week there was that vampire with the...the... Damn it... What was it?" He frowned, staring at a spot on the carpet.

"Hook. Jackass had a hook." Hayley said. "Thought I was going to end up needing plastic sugary when he tried to turn me into a fish on the end of that thing."

"Yes!" Alaric called his hands together. Then he tried to look more serious. "And I stake him. You know, before he could hook Hayley."

Tyler let put a laugh and everyone else turned to stare at him. "Sorry. It was funny. You had to be there."

"Well, I am sorry I missed Mr. Hook. Or was it a Captain Hook?" Caroline watched Bonnie shrug.

"He didn't strike me as very pirate-y. More land lubber." Tyler moved to lean against the table Bonnie sat at. "Hey, Hales, tell Caroline what happened the last time you needed a weapon from Ric."

Alaric raised both his hands. "Come on, guys! Everyone is entitled to an off day."

Hayley smirked. "I broke my crossbow. Thought I'd stop by Ric's, see if maybe he had a spare. Well, I get there. It's only eight in the evening-"

"Eight forty-five!" Ric added, pointing at Hayley who rolled her eyes.

"Ric had to get out of bed. He's going grandpa on us, Caroline." Hayley grinned at Ric.

Ric rolled his eyes and the up his hands. "Jo came back from a forty-eight hour shift. We watched a movie, and decided to make it an early night."

"No sex?" Tyler shook his head. "Man, I hate to see forty."

"I'm not forty!" Alaric shouted.

Caroline could not stop smiling. She'd missed all of this. And she felt so lucky to be home.

While Alaric ran a hand over his face and muttered to himself about teenagers being a bunch of jackasses; Tyler turned his attention back to Caroline. "Okay. Now, you have to tell us about all the dragons you were slaying while you were gone!" He seemed excited for a story, but Caroline did not feel ready to tell her friends any of her big news.

Turning, Caroline gave herself a moment to think while she hopped on the counter, next to Hayley. "No dragons. No slaying." Caroline bumped shoulders with Hayley. "Unlike some of us." Caroline shot Hayley a proud look who ducked her head, but could not hide her pleased expression. "Got more of those?" Caroline nodded at Hayley's granola wrapper, still clutched in the girl's fist.

"Yup." Hayley spun on the counter and dropped onto the other side. Caroline peered down as Hayley rifled through her bag. The girl had an extra T, a water bottle, extra granola bars, and a paperback copy of _War and Peace_ in her bag. Now, Caroline had a conversation starter to kill any talk of where she was, or who she had been with, during her little impromptu vacay.

"Heavy reading. Didn't take you for a Russian girl." Caroline said as Hayley tossed Caroline two chocolate chip granola bars. "My fav!" Caroline enthused, tearing one open, and shoved half of out in her mouth.

"Who's Russian?" Tyler looked confused.

"Huh?" Bonnie stared at Caroline.

Hayley hopped back on the counter and spun to face them. "She meant my book." Glancing at Caroline, Hayley's brows furrowed. "You meant my book?" Caroline nodded swallowing.

"What are you reading?" Alaric inquired, looking interested.

"War and Peace." Hayley stared at her hands.

"We never had to read anything that hard for sophomore year," Caroline said, taking another bite of her bar.

Bonnie shrugged. "I read it. For fun."

Swallowing, Caroline rolled her eyes and smiled at Bonnie. "Some of us prefer to watch a film."

Bonnie gave Caroline a snarky smile in return. Hayley groaned. "There's a film. Elijah never told there was a film?"

Now, Tyler jumped in. "Elijah told you to read that book? Ha! Someone has a crush on an Original!" The he frowned. "What is it with those guys and taking all the women folk?"

Before Caroline could say anything, Hayley began to speak, far too quickly: "I have a teem paper. And Elijah said the the teacher would be impressed. And I could think of anything else!" She hopped off the counter, but Tyler wasn't done.

"First Caroline, with Klaus. Then Bon and Kol. Now, Elijah wants to play with our new slayer. How is this fair?"

"I have a crush on someone else!" Hayley cried. Then her cheeks turned pink as everyone stared at her. "Did anyone else hear the bell? Got to get to class! Bye!" She ran through the double doors and Caroline shook her head at Tyler.

"What?" Tyler asked, looking from Caroline to Bonnie who gave each other long looks.

Caroline hopped down. "We do have classes. And, I have announcement, for after school. Reconvene in the woods outside of the Salvatores?" Alaric, Bonnie, and Tyler nodded. "Good. I will see you all then."

~0~

After school had ended, Caroline made her across town. She did so on foot, all too aware of the possibility of running into Julian, or one of Julian's lackeys. That would be on of those unknown variables.

Luck seemed to be Caroline's side as she entered the woods. She dropped her bag and pulled her hood down, looking up, and at the shining sun. Fat, blue clouds went by. For a moment, Caroline wondered if Klaus was looking at the same skyline. He should be there, soon. And she would have to tell her friends about their...re-connecting. And that was just one of her problems.

Eyes shifting to the empty Boarding House, Caroline hoped that Damon and Stefan were okay. In spite of how awkward things became between Stefan and Caroline; she harbored him no ill will. Honestly, she missed his friendship. Maybe, one day, they could work past the, well, past. Elena must be worried sick about Jeremy and Caroline felt like she should be helping, on that front, but she had her own mess to clean up before she could stop to clean someone else's.

That is why Caroline stood in these woods, waiting for her people to show up. She did not have to wait long. Soon, Bonnie, Tyler, and Hayley came to join her. The baby slayer slid out of her jacket and dropped it to the ground, flopping down on top. Tyler set a bag from The Grill down. "Sandwiches. And sides."

"Drinks." Bonnie made her way over to Caroline who plucked a cup out of the tray. "Thank you," Caroline said, sipping a pop. She needed to wait for everyone to show.

"Onion rings!" Hayley said around a mouthful of burger. Tyler pulled put a container and handed it to Hayley.

"Don't hog them," Tyler admonished with a finger wave. Hayley rolled her eyes and accepted a drink from Bonnie. Tyler took a seat on an fallen tree and looked to Caroline. "So, what's up?"

Caroline inhaled. "We need to wait."

"For what?" Hayley asked, popping an onion ring into her mouth, eyeing Caroline.

Caroline opened her mouth to reply when two new figures came toward them. Elijah and Freya Mikaelson. "Epijah!" Hayley choked out, the word garbled by the food, and Tyler smirked at her as she chewed.

Bonnie turned and berry dropped the remaining drinks on the leaves at her feet. "Freya?" She gasped as Elijah sped of her to relieve the younger witch of the drinks. He moved to the side and Bonnie began to walk forward.

Freya met Bonnie in the middle. "Where have you been?" Bonnie asked, looking Freya over.

"I had to help Niklaus with something. Do not worry. I will not be going anywhere for some time." Freya's hand went up and brushed Bonnie's cheek. Caroline suddenly felt like she was in the middle of a very private moment between the two witches. Lifting her cup, she sipped her drink, unable to look away as Bonnie wrapped her arms around Freya and Freya embraced the shorted witch, her nose pressed into Bonnie's hair. It felt like a very good thing that Kol had decided to leave with Klaus and Rebekah.

Alaric appeared. "Hey!" he called, Pausing to stare at Bonnie and Freya, and then looked away. Rolling her eyes, Caroline let out a loud cough, to gain everyone's attention. "Now, I know all of you came to enjoy take-out from The Grill, but I have an announcement to make." She waited for Bonnie and Freya to part and turn, to stare at Caroline. "I have decided to tell The Council about, well, me." She waited for reactions.

Tyler chewed an onion ring slowly, looking thoughtful. Bonnie's brows rose. Caroline thought her best friend would not look shocked if Caroline announced she was leaving to join NASA, and would be in a shuttle to the moon that weekend. Elijah frowned, also looking thoughtful.

Alaric was the first to break the silence. "No. No! Absolutely not!"

Caroline opened her mouth to reply, but Hayley added her thoughts, "Um!" She raised a hand and Caroline stared at the brunette as Hayley played with her drunk cup. "Isn't the point of having a secret identity, to not tell people about it. You know, we don't where 'Hey! I'm a Slayer! Ask me how!' T-s. So, shouldn't you, like, not tell them? 'Cause they might, I don't know...want to kill you...a lot..."

Freya was the next to speak. "Caroline, I agree with your protégé. This could be extremely dangerous..." Since Freya knew more about who, and what, Caroline is; Caroline had to admit that the Original did have a point.

Tyler waved a hand. "What would you tell them? I mean, you weren't planning on going in and saying: 'Hi! I'm Caroline! I used to say for you, but now I'm fang-y, and have different nutritional needs. So, we're all still cool, right?" He ended this with a big smile like he was auditioning for a toothpaste commercial.

"NO!" Caroline shook her head. "I'm going to tell Julian that the corner screwed up. Someone found me, and helped me, but I was afraid of what people would think, you know, since you thought I was dead; so I didn't just appear on my own doorstop the next day."

"You think Julian will believe you're human?" Hayley's sarcasm did little to help Caroline's dissipating good mood.

"Yes!" Caroline snapped.

Hayley looked at her burger. "You must think he's stupid," she muttered to her food.

Caroline made her way over to stand over Hayley, arms crossed over her chest. "Okay, my Julian expert, tell me, what is wrong with my plan?"

Pausing, Hayley chewed and held up a finger. She swallowed and said, "Well, Julian will test you. Because, he'll find it suspicious as hell that you came back from the dead."

"Not the first time." Caroline stated at Hayley.

Hayley nodded and titled her head to the side. "I guess, it might work. Really. It's your funeral." She took another bite and Caroline turned to look at the others.

"This isn't really a discussion. This is my plan. Anyone who is worried, please, book a flight out of Dodge." Without another word, Caroline made her way towards the Salvatores' driveway. She needed a place to think, and she knew where Damon kept his spare key.

"Caroline." The sound of Elijah's voice made Caroline stop and turn to face him.

Folding her arms over her chest, Caroline stared at Elijah. "I hope you don't intend on talking me out of this. I've already made up my mind."

Elijah shook his head. "No. This concerns another matter."

"I'm listening." Caroline expected this to involve Klaus, but Elijah's word left a pit in her gut. "While you were away, I had time to speak with Hayley. It seems she has a practice of studying previous slayers. And she is aware of no other slayer being turned...until you, that is..."

"And..."

"And I fear her interest may yield some information that could prove dangerous, for you, in the wrong hands... Given what I have ascertained about the depth of Hayley's bond with Julian, I fear she may not be the right person to keep such information..." Elijah stared at Caroline, his expression unreadable.

"Thank you, Elijah." Caroline could hear the hollowness of her own voice.

"Of course." Elijah nodded. Then he was gone, leaving Caroline alone with her thoughts. It looked like Caroline needed to do her own research: on Hayley Marshall, before the girl became Caroline's closest enemy and the source of the end of Caroline's world.

~0~

Mystic Falls. Kol Mikaelson hated that he felt drawn to this town. And it had little to do with the town itself. It all had to do with a little witch who made his cold, dead heart vest a little faster whenever they were in the same room. He'd always known that Bonnie Bennett was pretty, abs powerful, two elements that always made a girl more attractive to Kol. However, he had no idea how intoxicating she would be once they were together, nor could he have anticipated the depths of passion she drove him to. He would kill for her, or because of her. Right now, he wanted to end his own blood because of her. And that was a funny thing in of itself because he'd always wanted to be closer to his siblings.

Freya. She wasn't truly one of them. Just some stray they'd found had the same blood. But she never woke up in a coffin, thanks to Niklaus. She did not listen to Bekah drown on about her never ceasing list of suitors. She did not know how hard Elijah worked to not tear every human he encountered head of their body while he adjusted his tie. And she had no idea how much Kol worshiped Bonnie. If she did, she would know what a grievous mistake it was to try to separate them. Bonnie was Kol's. The only person who had been his, not someone hw had to share with his family, not someone he had to fear would turn her back on him because one of his siblings told her to.

Walking up to the doors of the high school, Kol jerked one open and sped inside. He made his way to the gym. Inside, Bonnie stood, looking as lovely as the day they met in a short, black skirt and loose white top. Her eyes met his and Kol smirked. He heard her gasp of surprise when he scooped her up, hands wrapped around her thighs.

"Kol." Bonnie chuckled as he pressed her back into the wall behind them. His mouth opened and he teased her lips with his before turning hid head and kissing her like it was their first time, and their last. She moaned as he tugged her underwear off. Her hands went to his pants. They looked each other in the eye as he lifted her up. Her eyelids slid closed and she bit her lower lip as he took her hands, pushing them above her head.

They did not stop moving for two hours and Kol found a mat to lay Bonnie across; so she might sleep off the work-out. He laid down beside her, wrapping one arm around her waist and waited. Unfortunately, he would have to wake Bonnie from her slumber soon. The reason made him smirk, because he would finally have her to himself. A final test of loyalty. He knew Bonnie loved him. He just needed her to show him it was he worried for the most. Kol. Not precious Freya. He would be chosen first, not last, for once.

~0~

Kol leaned on his elbow. He felt tempted to allow Bonnie to sleep. This moment reminded him of their summer together. Caroline had been vengeful. Klaus has been absent. Bekah had been amorous with Jeremy. While Kol had found himself relaxing into Bonnie Bennett's embraces. It had felt new, and exciting. Full of possibility. And he felt very much like the young man he'd once been, a lifetime ago.

Pressing his lips to Bonnie's arm, Kol ran his hand over her side. She mumbled nonsense in her sleep before turning her head to give him a dazed smile. "Hi," she said.

Mouth darting downward, Kol kissed Bonnie for a long time. He eased back up and smiled back. "Hello, darling."

"Um. I think I have to go home. Grams will wonder where I am." Bonnie dis not seem to want to leave as she laid on her back, staring up at Kol and lifted a hand to run through his hair.

"We should." Kol nodded, taking her hand, and kissing her knuckles. "And then I can slip into your room, and your bed, like we did over the summer." He watched Bonnie laugh. She had such a lovely laugh.

"Sounds like a plan." Bonnie got up and made her way over to where her clothes had ended up. Kol watched her dress. When she was ready, he sped through the act of dressing. They locked hands and made their way out of the gym. Kol led the way to his car and opened the door, waiting for Bonnie to get inside. He knew they had little time before the drama would unfold and he could not change his mind at this point.

As if to emphasize what he already knew, his phone went off, and Kol checked it, to be sure. Yes. The plan was in motion. All they had to do was arrive on time.

The streets of Mystic Falls were quiet as Kol drove along. He turned a corner. His body tensed as a truck plowed into they side of a car. The car rolled over and Bonnie grabbed Kol's arm. "Stop! We have to help them!" she cried.

Kol pressed his foot to the brake as a woman freed herself from the car and two men with guns got out of the truck. Getting out of his car, Kol saw Bonnie raising her hands, "_Phesmatos_-" She began to say when the men's words filled the air.

"By orders of The Hunter's Council!" One of them said as the woman turned to face her attackers.

Bonnie let our a cry. "Freya!" Then she was running towards Freya. "Leave her alone!" She shouted and raised her hands, again, "_Phesmatos, flecto_!" Her hands bent and so did the men's weapons. Her hands rose, "_Dissulto_!" she cried with intensity and the two men went flying through the air, and away from Freya.

Freya turned to Bonnie before she collapsed to the ground, shaking. "Freya!" Bonnie ran to wrap her arms around Freya. "Hey! Hey! Look at me! Freya! Stay awake!" Patting Freya's cheek, Bonnie did not note the truck starting up.

"The driver," Freya moaned, eyes moving to the truck that sped towards them. Bonnie did not have time to act.

Kol sped in front of the truck. The impact would have killed a human. Good thing Kol was not one as he sailed through the air. He felt the hard pavement and his several bones broke as he fell. But he was up seconds. Speeding to the truck, he removed the driver. The driver seemed dazed and confused from where the impact with Kol had made the vehicle come to a sudden stop, as if it had met a brick wall. Fangs popping out, Kol bit into the driver's throat without mercy. He tossed the man aside seconds later as the other two idiots he'd compelled into thinking themselves Council members withdrew weapons, trying to get to the witches. Hands gripping necks, Kol twisted, and the men fell to the ground, dead.

"Kol, I need to... I needed to question them..." Freya said, blood trickling from her head and down her cheek. "Oh, I'm so tired..."

"Don't you dare go to sleep!" Bonnie shouted, holding onto Freya. Terror was writ large on Bonnie's face. "Kol, help me with her. We need to get her to my Grams. She can help us." Her eyes went to Kol and Kol felt malice course through him. And still, he found himself scooping his sister into his arms. He carried the blonde back to his car, laying her across the backseat. Bonnie got in with Freya. She placed the older witch's head in her lap, stroking Freya's cheek, and leaned over her, whispering to Freya that she would be alright.

With a heavy heart, Kol got behind his wheel. He drove to Shelia Bennett's house. She stood on the sidewalk, holding a sweater around her neck, a frown on her face. "Bring her in," Shelia directed Kol through the house and to Bonnie's bedroom. He laid his sister down as Bonnie sat by her side. He moved to lean against her wall as her Grams went back and forth, to heal his sister.

When Shelia was done, she sat with Freya as Bonnie walked Kol downstairs. He could see, already, that her mind was in his sister, haunted look on her face as she led him to the door. "I'll call you," Bonnie said. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He left the house and she closed the door behind him. He stood for a long moment, listening to Bonnie race to Freya's side. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, his hand going to the door. It clenched into a fist. His eyes rose, and he let out a quiet laugh. Kol Mikaelson reduced to this. What a sad, irony. Turning, he sped off, and into the night.

**Thank you for reading, faving, following, and reviewing. :) **

**Be safe,**

**-J**


End file.
